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Split from: Good manners

Started by TulsaDavid, November 01, 2011, 07:27:56 PM

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TulsaDavid

This is my first post on this forum. I'm very impressed with both the hospitality of the forum and the generosity of those who have created trail maps. You will notice a PayPal donation has been made.

Thank you for an excellent forum. My wife and I are planning Thanksgiving week hiking at Arches and Needles in Utah, and this forum has been very helpful.

Again, thank you.

babj615

Quote from: TulsaDavid on November 01, 2011, 07:27:56 PMMy wife and I are planning Thanksgiving week hiking at Arches and Needles in Utah, and this forum has been very helpful.

Again, thank you.

OMG, I am so envious! Arches is absolutely the most beautiful place I have ever been, and no photo or video can do it ANY justice!

Enjoy!
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TulsaDavid

Thank you very much. Praying the weather will be kind to us. :)

Seldom

Quote from: TulsaDavid on November 01, 2011, 07:27:56 PM
My wife and I are planning Thanksgiving week hiking at Arches and Needles in Utah, and this forum has been very helpful.
Again, thank you.

In Arches, Devils Garden Primitive Loop, and Delicate Arch are nice as is Fiery Furnace if you can get reservations.
Don't forget Island in the Sky. Upheaval Dome is an impressive short hike.
And in Needles Druid Arch is really nice.  It's 5 miles from the trailhead in an out and back.

TulsaDavid

I've been talking with the Arches Visitor Center, and they are going to have one Fiery Furnace guided hike per day that week, except for Thanksgiving day. Of course, since the rangers are on a skeleton crew, any emergency could nix that.

I've also planned the Devil's Garden hike.

In Canyonlands we're planning the hike from Elephant Hill to Chesler loop and back. Have looked at returning via part of the Druid Arch trail.

We'll probably balance playing tourist and hiking in the Islands district. The Maze district ... well, that will just have to wait. But the more I dig into the info about The Maze, the more I am REALLY wanting to hike some of it. :) :)

So little time, so many trails. :)

Seldom

#5
Some Moab restaurants:
Moab Diner for basic quality meals.  Not open Sunday.
Zax (Zack's) for Italian.

On hikes, two short ones outside the park that I forgot to mention above:

Corona Arch leads to an arch slightly smaller than Rainbow Arch, but you can still fly a small plane under it. It's off of UT 279 just before the potash plant railroad joins it. 10 mi west of 191.

Negro Bill Trail goes to Morning Glory Arch and is named after one of the first non-Indian settlers.  Trailhead is 3 miles east of 191 on UT 128.

Also, Dead Horse Point (on the way to Island in the Sky) is well worth the $10 per car admission fee. You can see the opposite side of the view from Anticline Overlook. (Thirty miles 1 way, mostly gravel road, same turn off of 191 as for Needles Overlook.  They're both nice, but I prefer Anticline to Needles).

TulsaDavid

Wife and I are already thinking in terms of subsequent trips to the Moab area.

She lived at Grand Canyon Village for 10 years before we knew each other. We've hiked the Bright Angel trail (stayed in a cabin at Phantom Ranch - 2 year reservation *lol*), have hiked Zion, some of the Tetons, Glacier Trail in the Wind River mountains, Vernal Falls, some in the White Mountains (Ancient Bristlecone trail), a little bit on the Appalachians, and many hiking places within hours of Tulsa.

It's addicting. :)

Seldom

Quote from: TulsaDavid on November 02, 2011, 10:28:47 AM
Wife and I are already thinking in terms of subsequent trips to the Moab area.
Torrey (Capitol Reef) is nice too.  Horseshoe Canyon (where they shot the last scene of "127 Hours" is about half way between Moab and Torrey.

Quote from: TulsaDavid on November 02, 2011, 10:28:47 AM
We've hiked the Bright Angel trail (stayed in a cabin at Phantom Ranch - 2 year reservation *lol*)
I just did Rim2Rim with an overnight at Phantom Ranch.  Called and got a cancellation (in late September) two weeks in advance.  Of course that's easier to do when you live within driving distance.

TulsaDavid

Those last minute Phantom cancellations are such a bonus. We've been to Capital Reef, but just driving around. That's on our list, too.

TulsaDavid

I've been talking with rangers in the Islands and Arches visitors centers, getting good advice on what's within reason for that time of year. We're going to hike part of the time and Jeep around part of the time. Honestly, one week will only touch the surface, so our strategy is to hike/Jeep just what segments are doable within the daylight hours, drool at what we cannot conquer this first go-round, and plan for future hikes and Jeep trips.

Seldom

#10
If you go on White Rim Trail be sure you have at least one (preferably two) good spares.
I got a flat on my way back from Musselman Arch (12 miles to pavement).  It was a little scary going up the Schafer trail switchbacks with only the 4 tires on the SUV.

If you haven't seen Thelma and Louise, you should check it out before you go.  It was  shot in Arches (Rastafarian biker is in the Arches Entrance drive) and Canyonlands (Thelma and Louise Point).  If you stay at the Apache in Moab (has a John Wayne Suite) ask the owner about Thelma and Louise.  The stunt crew stayed there.

You can do Corona Arch, Thelma and Louise Point, Musselman Arch, Grand View Point and Dead Horse Point in a day in a high clearance vehicle. 4WD not required normally.

Query for Thelma and Louise Point on OpenStreetMap.

Unvarnished plug here:  These are shown on my Desert Southwest mapset.  The same area is covered in Arch-Cany-Hikes, but without as much detail.  Both mapsets are routable.