Colorado River Overlook via E-MTB

Cave Spring Road

Today we headed out early to bike to the Colorado River Overlook. The bright blue sky and cool temperature was a wonderful way to start the day. We took a short detour along Cave Spring Road to add a few miles to the ride & see if there was anything of interest along the road. 

Wooden Shoe Arch

As a bonus we did get a shot of the Wooden Shoe Arch. We stopped at the Overlook for Bill to take the short walk out to check out the Stone Storehouse. Only a quick 10 minute walk out to it. I stayed with the bikes since we didn't bring any locks with us for the ride

We made a quick stop at the Visitor Center to check the road access for the Overlook. All was good so we headed down the dirt road that was designated for 4 x 4 high clearance vehicles. 

*Stone Storehouse from NPS site Veronica Verdin

Lizard tracks in the soft sand

A mile in we ran into some deep sand that turned out to be really tricky to ride...sometimes we failed to maintain a proper upright position. We did figure out that riding through the sand too fast did not work. If we maintained a nice steady pace with a little wiggle on the handle bars to match our rear bike tire's spin & wiggle we could ride it out. 

The lizards certainly do a good job at moving along the soft sand. We never saw one actually on the road, but their tracts was everywhere.

The road had quite a few sections of this deep sand which made us wonder how many vehicles got stuck. Neither of us got stuck and managed to get to the last couple of miles without any real problems. 

Deciding which path to tackle

The last section was tricky to say the least. I tried 2 times to ride up the steep rocks without success. Of course the pictures do not show the 'angle of steepness' nor how big the drops were off the rocks. I decided that it made more sense to walk my bike up the incline. Bill, however, managed to get up the rocks on his 2nd attempt. 

We both had a few peddle strikes on the rocks. Even lost contact with a peddle, but no falls...a definite win! Riding over the slick rock was a fun time...our new tires really stick to that rock.

No wonder the Park Service said to park and walk that last mile. Driving a vehicle up it looked darn near impossible for normal people. We made it over the last mile of slick rock & shark fins to the Colorado River Overlook.  

Cindi on the Colorado River Overlook Road

Colorado River Overlook

From the overlook the river looks pretty tame...a lot of muddy slow moving water. The red rock views were stunning. We even had a phone signal because our phones started pinging with missed messages. No idea how we managed a signal out in the middle of nowhere. Took a break to keep hydrated and watched the water before heading back toward camp. 

The trip back was uneventful...figured out how to negotiate the sand piles & shark fins without any problems. 

Red Pillar down below the Overlook

Cindi taking in the view of the Colorado River

Our ride ended up being a total of 27 miles in 2 hours 40 minutes with an elevation gain of 1089 feet. 

Never saw a single vehicle or person the entire time. Tomorrow we are planning to hike the Slickrock Trail bright & early.

Canyonlands National Park

Moab Brewery

As luck would have it we hit Moab at lunchtime. We decided to make a stop at Moab Brewery. A beer (Dead Horse Amber) & hamburger sounded really good after spending the day driving. Surprised that we found a spot to park Cliferd & the Tin Can right at the Brewery. The beer was most excellent...the fries were much better than the burger, but no where near as good as Bridger Bowl's fries. After eating we gassed up & headed toward the Needles District of Canyonlands. 

This was our first time visiting this section of the Park & man is it in the middle of nowhere. The turnoff from Hwy 191 onto Route 211 is still a long 30 miles of driving at the posted speed limit of 40 mph through a portion of Bears Ear National Monument before reaching the Needles entrance. 

The campground's fairly small with only 11 reservable sites & 16 first come sites. Most sites were set rather far apart which was an unexpected treat. Temperatures most days were low to mid-90's and the sun was pretty hot. With no neighbors we were able to leave the shady side shades up all night to help cool the interior. 

For a National Park we will say that it was not crowded anywhere we went...trails, roads, campground. The most people could be found at the Visitor Center checking their phones, otherwise pretty sparse in the Needles District.

Our site via the NPS

At least the site had plenty of shade options over the course of the day. We spent the hottest part of each day on the cliff set into the rocks at the back of our site. Lots of birds, lizards, chipmucks, rabbits to keep an eye on from that perch. It took some getting used to being in camp during the heat of the day. We planned all of our rides & hikes for early mornings when it was much cooler. Afterwards we'd head back to camp for lunch and hang in the shady areas until the sun dropped enough to venture out for a late day activity.

The start of pass access only... Elephant Hill Road

Elephant Hill Road from camp

On our first morning we rode the bikes out as far as the gate closure on Elephant Road without using our batteries. We proved that it can be done as long as the hill climbs are not to steep. I will say that you definitely know you're pedaling a heavy bike. Past the gate requires a permit...some discussion was made if we wanted to try for one. We did check & it was possible to get one while we were in camp, but decided to wait until the next visit since it was quite an 'extreme' ride.

The Needles from Elephant Hill Road

Since the day was starting to heat up & the forecast was for mid-90's we decided to drive to Moab & call the bike shop in Grand Junction, CO. It was going to be much too hot to do much so why not take a drive? 

As luck would have it the shop had a battery charger in stock so off to Grand Junction for a 90 minute drive in air conditioning. We got our charger! Thank goodness we could now do all of the rides we'd planned.

Colorado River along Dinosaur Diamond Byway

View along Dinosaur Diamond Scenic Byway

View along Dinosaur Diamond Scenic Byway

Heading back to Moab we decided to take the Dinosaur Diamond Scenic Byway. What a beautiful drive. The road took us along the Colorado River for several miles with lots of red rock cliffs along the way. A much more relaxing road than I-70 with lots of turnoffs for photography. 

Since it was dinnertime when we got to Moab we stopped by the brewery for another Dead Horse Amber Ale, some pork BBQ & bang bang shrimp tacos. Absolutely a fantastic dinner! 

Tomorrow we tackle the Colorado River Overlook Road...the last mile should be 'interesting' based on the reviews of those that have tried to drive the 7-mile road to the Colorado River Overlook. The Park Service claims that the last 1.5 miles one should park it & walk to the Overlook to avoid the 'stair-step drops & large rocks'. 

Western fence lizard

*Click to enlarge any picture

The Search for Energy

We hitched up and headed out bright & early for our first camping trip of the 2024 season. Once again we decided to head down to Utah & then to Nevada before the summer heat. Bridger gets to visit his favorite spa while we camp, bike & hike in a few National Parks. He hates the heat & loves pool time so pretty sure he won't miss us one bit. National Parks are not exactly 'dog friendly' places especially if the humans want to hike & bike.

Tin Can Allie with her Cliferd

We had a beautiful drive along the Gallatin River to West Yellowstone, MT. Surprisingly not much traffic for a Holiday weekend & we made it through West Yellowstone easily. The tourists were heading in from Idaho so oncoming traffic was pretty heavy. Glad we were heading away from that chaos. While Bill took his favorite after breakfast nap I started wondering if we'd packed all the essentials. Specifically the battery chargers for our bikes which I had not seen in the pile. Just before Ashton, ID Bill woke & I asked if he'd packed the charges?? The answer was cussing followed by looking for a bike shop in Jackson, WY. 

I managed to drive most of the way up the Teton Pass without any issues. We switched drivers at the top of the Pass & Bill took over to drive into town. As a side note the very next week this road was shut down when a crack opened up & the entire road collapsed & slid down the mountainside. People commuting to Jackson from Driggs, ID now have 3+ hour commutes to work. WYDOT has been quickly building a temporary road that should be opened in a couple of weeks. Glad we missed that excitement.

Steinaker State Park's Reservoir below us

Once in Jackson we stopped at the local bike shop, but no chargers for sale. Lots of rentals with lots of chargers, but no luck getting one. Filled up the truck & headed toward our next bike shop along the route in Rock Springs, WY...of course it was not open either. Did I mention it was a Holiday weekend? 

At this point we continued toward our first overnight spot at Steinaker State Park near Vernal, UT. As luck would have it there was a couple of bike shops in town. Both claimed to be opened on Sundays, but nope neither one was open when we wandered into town. Holiday weekend strikes again!

Under Moonshine Arch

Moonshine Arch

We gave up our search for power and managed a hike out to Moonshine Arch. A fairly short out & back hike to a rather unimpressive arch as arches go in Utah. We found a few western fence lizards on the red rocks near the arch.

Western fence lizard with amputated tail

One had a partially amputated tail that was regrowing. Always fun to see what we can find to photograph that others wouldn't find too interesting. 

A few violet-green swallows flew around the cedars & pines. One of the most hyper birds & so difficult to get a clean shot...unless it happens to land above our heads.

Violet-green swallow

As always we found some wildflowers to photograph & try to identify. Back in camp we watched black-chin hummingbirds at the Park's Entrance. Vicious little birds when guarding their feeders. 

Black-chin hummingbirds fighting

Yellow warbler

Another bird that I have difficulty getting a clean shot was the yellow warbler... such a pretty bright bird with a lovely song. Sitting in camp during dinner was a blast listening & trying to find where it was hiding. 

Of course while fixing breakfast on our last morning it sat right by the window in plain view, but the screen obscured my clear shot. 

Dang birds drive me nuts!

Just before leaving for our next destination Bill called our friends in Livingston, MT to see if they could drop by the house & mail us one of our chargers to Moab. We were still hopeful that we could find one in Grand Junction or Moab. Both towns are know for extreme mountain biking. So thankful for good friends that could help save our trip & a backup plan was in place. 

We stayed 2 nights in Steinaker and made a plan to take a small detour toward Grand Junction, CO. Actually we were heading to Moab, UT & Canyonlands National Park, but took a turn west that only added 30 minutes to the trip. There was a Specialized dealer in Grand Junction that 'supposedly' had a charger in stock...according to the Specialized website they were open on Mondays. The question was will they be opened on Memorial Day Monday? Their website said yes, but we had our doubts which proved accurate. 

At least it was only a 30 minute detour dragging a AS through the streets of Downtown Grand Junction... then we were off to Moab, UT. Talk about crazy traffic heading toward us...WOW! All of Salt Lake must have spent the Holiday in Moab. A solid line of trailers & RV's heading toward us all the way toward Moab.

 

Pale-evening primrose

Flat-top buckwheat

Broadbeard beardtongue

*click any picture to enlarge

A Couple of Excursions into the Mountains

Bill & Hardscrabble Peak

We've been enjoying our last few weeks of summer in the mountains on the bikes. The first ride of the summer on Carrol Creek found a number of exposed rocks. It was a wet spring and numerous storms this summer so all that water washed the dirt off and since this trail has not been scrapped in ages it was a rock fest. Everywhere. Not the most pleasant of rides dodging the big ones and missing the muddy potholes. Oh, and yelling at the free-range cattle that seemed to be everywhere...well if the actual body wasn't there the cow pies were present. Guess it was a good thing we had found other rides this summer. 

Hardscrabble Peak

It was still a nice day to be in the mountains and we managed to get a 20-miler done with only 2 incidents. The first one started almost from the start of the ride. A couple of weeks earlier I decided to make an appointment for a professional 'bike fit' with my Physical Therapist. He changed a few things... my seat position, height, & grips. Since the changes I had done some road riding and everything felt good, but I hadn't taken the bike on a mountain trail. While riding I started noticing my hands and arms starting to hurt. Really thought it was the rocky trail creating some weird vibrations through my upper body. Bill thought the changes to the grips could be the problem. We changed them back to the original position. It did not improve. It wasn't until we were heading back towards the truck with just a few miles left that Bill noticed my front suspension wasn't moving...at all. I looked and wouldn't you know it...the darn thing was in the 'locked' position. No wonder I was hurting. Now we know the value of that front suspension...makes a huge difference on rocky terrain. I now check the position when I ride...lesson learned.

View toward Sedan, MT from Carrol Creek Trail

For the 2nd incident I decided to see if I could stay on my bike while ride off the side of the trail at a greater than 45-degree angle. One cannot...at least this one cannot. The stumps off the road kind of made it impossible to ride it out so I laid the bike down with me under it. A few bruises...including to my ego, but nothing to keep me from continuing down the road back to the truck. The cows were off in the woods on the return trip...thank goodness. The way my luck was running I figured I would need to unleash bear spray on an irate cow.

Mill Creek

Our last hurrah was to ride Mill Creek and then head to Chico Hot Springs for a soak and burger. As luck would have it a front end loaded had scrapped the upper road all the way to the closure gate. The road was pretty much free of the potholes & rocks from last month's ride. Another blue-sky day that started in the upper 40's, but the sun was warm enough on the ride up the mountain. No critter sighting except for some finches enjoying the thistle seeds and a flock of Northern Flickers racing downhill away from us. 

The only thing that intruded upon the day was our 1st flat tire on a mountain trail. Yep, me again. We switched to tubeless tires last summer and we've had no issues...until today. Unfortunately, the goop used to fill the tire needs replacing every few months depending upon heat/humidity. The stuff evaporates over time...we thought we could get through the summer & replace it next season. Wrong. The teeny tiny hole let all the air escape & we had to remove the tire, unpack the inner tube, and put the tire back on and pump it up. Fun. A bit of a time to get it done & we were wondering if we'd still have time to soak before picking up Bridger at his daycare. Priorities...we managed to soak, eat & return to Bozeman to pick up his crazy self at his usual time.

View of Mill Creek Road below us

Newly scrapped road uphill

Fireweed seeds floating in air

The Snowy Range

Sugarloaf Mountain & Medicine Bow Peak

On our very first winter trip west way back in 2009 we discovered a sign proclaiming this exit for "The Snowy Range Scenic Byway" while driving on I-80. It was disappointing that we could not take the side trip at the time. It was March and the road was closed for the winter. We have been several times since then and it is an amazing spot. One of our favorites that we share with anyone we happen to meet on our travels. Maybe we should stop mentioning it since it has become a bit more crowded...at least by our standards. It is a place that no matter where you look you cannot take a bad picture... a spectacular place.

As luck would have it last month we discovered a site was open at Sugarloaf Campground. This campground is at 10810 feet and located at the base of Medicine Bow Peak. We quickly booked the reservation and made plans to head out with Bridger for a few days in the Medicine Bow. As it got closer to our reservation the weather was looking at bit iffy in the afternoons, but we figured we could get a hike in before the storms rolled in for the evening. Yet another 'problem' we have with the reservation system.

The long long pull through

The drive is a bit over 9-hours so we decided to break it up and head to Boysen State Park in the Wind River Canyon area for the night. It is only a 5-hour drive from the house... a pretty short driving day for us. Neither of us thought to check the weather in that area...wow, was it hot at 99 degrees. Humidity was only 17% and the wind was blowing pretty good in the canyon along the river, but it still too hot to cook or have a fire. 

At the last minute when packing the trailer we decided to bring the Dewalt fan. It was used in addition to the trailer's 2 fantastic fans. Thankfully it kept us cool enough to get some sleep.

The Canyon's Big Horn River

The campground is along the Big Horn River & has lots of cottonwood trees to provide shade...thankfully. Our site was pretty interesting...a pull-thru that went on & on. 

We didn't even need to unhitch for the night since we had so much room. The next morning off we headed & reached our campsite ahead of the afternoon storms.

View from Sugarloaf campsite 

Our site had a beautiful view of Brown Mountain, Sugarloaf & Medicine Bow. Bridger finally learned after all this time that the squeaks he hears are actually chipmunks, ground squirrels or marmots. 

He enjoyed watching them from his perch in front of the trailer. The chipmunks really tested his patience by running right in front of his nose. 

Unfortunately, he followed his nose rather than his eyes so he missed where they hid.

Bridger looking for chipmunks

 

Moose in the willows

Bridger & I got up at sunrise to try to capture the mountains as the sun hit the peak. We got a bit sidetracked...by a pair of bull moose eating in the willows. After a few shots thought I should wake up sleeping beauty...aka Bill. We rushed back to the trailer...said 'MOOSE' and he quickly hit the floor. 

Irritated moose

I grabbed the big lens camera & rushed back to my hilltop. One of the campers was on the road not too far from the moose. He was certainly not too close, but the larger of the two moose took great offense and came running out of the willows directly at the guy. He quickly turned and took off down the road.

Still agitated

At that point the moose were directly below my hilltop & still looking a bit agitated. After a few shots in less than bright enough light I saw Bill with Bridger heading directly towards where the moose seemed to be going. I decided I really should warn them about the angry moose. Thankfully the guy that had been chased had already met up with them.

Bridger & I headed to the trailer to get his breakfast & take him away from possibly inciting an incident with the moose. We were pretty lucky that the pair of moose headed right up into the campground and passed across from our site. 

Sunrise hits the Snowy Range

The two ended up grazing in the campground area for an hour before wandering off into the trees. Never found them again. After the morning excitement we headed back to the Tin Can for some breakfast.

Pair of bull moose at Sugarloaf Campground 

Bull moose in campground

After eating we started out for our hike towards the Gap Lakes with Bridger. The morning was crisp and clear which after our 100-degree night in Wind River was a welcomed relief. It wasn't too long before we hit the first alpine lake & Bridger took full advantage of the water. 

Bridger's 1st retrieve

He has decided he enjoys retrieving, but doesn't have the stamina that Maggie displayed back in her day. Each & every lake was fair game the entire week we were there...even trying to jump from really big, steep rocks. 

Lucky dog found a snow field too where he got the zoomies and Bill hit the deck trying to catch him. Thankfully, he only bruised his ego and his ribs. 

Bridger retrieving!

Another storm blew through at dinnertime...no cooking out once again. Pizza to the rescue! We woke to overcast skies & decided to hike up Sugarloaf Mountain to the Saddle rather than hike to the peak. Between the iffy looking weather and a toe issue we decided that the shorter hike would be just fine. Bridger got to swim a in Lewis Lake and look for picas in the rocks. I spent time looking for wildflowers & trying to get close to the picas for a good picture. 

Later the storms settled in and man did the thunder sound close. Our plan the next morning was to head back to Wind River for a night before heading back home. After getting on the road we changed our minds, cancelled the campsite and drove the entire way back home. It really wasn't as tiring as we had thought pulling the trailer over a 9-hour day. 

Good to know for the next time we head to the Snowy Mountains.

Bridger looking for his stick

Gap Lake Trail

Marmot

Break time at the Saddle

Bridger with Bill

Curious golden mantle squirrel

Elephant head

Pica