Back on the Trail

Ripley and I were back out on the trail hiking in the Colorado River valley.
We found a great trail into one of the feeder canyons and we were all alone to explore and run.The steep canyon walls were spectacular!And Ripley enjoyed the views.
Until we reached this rock scramble that he struggled to climb on the first try. As much as I encouraged him, he continued to look the other way and refused to come along.I told Rip that I was continuing on to see the view ahead, and he soon joined me. Somehow the rocks were manageable at that point.On the way back he chose to be a vagabond and followed the RR tracks.The beautiful Lasal mountains were in clear view. Including that fresh coat of snow that covers well below the 10,000 foot level we were at the day before.

The canyons offered some great vistas.
And the White Rim layer in Canyonlands makes some interesting formations.
It brought a discombobulated smile to my face :}
And we visited the Delicate Arch in Arches NP.
Where I met up with Katsie and Darren on the trail. We said our goodbyes...

This rock is precariously placed...

And these thin partitions in Arches look unable to handle a small earthquake.
But the balanced rock looks to be able to handle all that Mother Nature can offer.
It all presents a spectacular view that these pictures cannot fully communicate. I sat on this edge at the Grand View in Canyonlands for quite a while pondering the magnitude of the erosion that created these canyons.
Rip sure enjoyed the chance to run wild on the trail.
So today I had to get back on he bike and head to Slickrock.
The rock is sandstone and grips like sandpaper so the traction is awesome.I had a good time riding the rocks until I came to a super steep section that had two hairpin turns. I made it to the first turn and then freaked out and decided to turn back. I had enough adrenalin rush on Saturday to last me a while. So today I only went over the bars once and had a great time. My new brakes worked great.All in all, a great visit to Moab, one I will never forget!

Next, on to Mesa Verde NP and Durango.