Arizona to Southern Utah

At the conclusion of the Expo, I joined several new friends en route to Canyonlands National Park and Moab, Utah. Traveling north, the landscape started to reveal canyons, rock formations, and raging rivers swollen with melting snow. The first night we camped in the Valley of the Gods, and having arrived after dark, awoke to a gorgeous view of Monument Valley in the distance. Early in the morning we made our way to Canyonlands via Moki Dugway, a theatrically curvy road straight up a canyon wall (see GPS screenshot and the subsequent photo.)

After a failed attempt to cross a 9,000 foot mountain pass buried in five feet of snow, we took to the pavement and eventually stumbled upon an amazing campsite just outside of Canyonlands National Park. Subsequent to crossing a small river we camped next to a waterfall at the base of a 120 foot red rock cliff. We spent the rest of the day exploring the area, climbing massive rock formations and simply taking in the beauty of it all.

In the morning, we entered the National Park and drove the Elephant Hill 4x4 trail. This is the type of terrain that my truck was built for: steep inclines, rock ledges, and even a squeeze through a narrow opening (see photo.) After driving the trail, the group split and I made my way towards Moab. En route, I played the good Samaritan and rescued a California family whose van was stuck in a ditch due to a failed attempt at making a U-turn.

I spent the next few days exploring Moab, a small Utah town that offers every type of outdoor activity: rafting, hiking, mountain biking, climbing, canyoning, 4x4 trails, skiing, etc, etc. Although it’s spring, several mountains in the area were still covered with snow. If you haven’t visited the four corners area where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet, put away your passport, and get there.