Onward Upward

Now that’s a great statement, except you need to remember that upward at this time of year in this geographic location means getting colder.  There I said that 4 letter word – COLD!

I know I promised you one more spectacular hike in Moab prior to our departure, but I simply wimped out.  We spent our last day there just being lazy tourists – eating out and walking.  Honestly there is a possibility we were spent.

So as the title says we moved upward, north it was.  We watched the weather closely and were incensed to see cold in the forecast, no matter where we parked the fifth.  So we decided to put an end to boon docking and find services that allowed us to enjoy the more “luxurious” compliments of the trailer – that being electricity to run the fireplace.

We chose Huntington State Park, and what a jewel it was.  Located just minutes from Huntington and other small Utah communities, it was a clean, well organized and spacious campground.  And although we only expected power, we had full services, since they had completed upgrades just this spring.

Every day we set out to discover the area but we were a bit limited by the weather.  On one particular trip up a “scenic drive” highway, the high elevation and the cold temperatures combined to create some rather pretty ice formations on the irrigation systems.

The weather finally improved enough for us to set out and discover the San Rafael Swell or Little Grand Canyon area, as the locals called it.

We have been to the Grand Canyon and this is aptly named, as it is just as awe inspiring as the Grand Canyon.

We travelled down some pretty unique county roads, that at home we would call paths, but here were numbered local roads, maintained by the municipalities.

The next destination was Buckhorn Wash area.  This stop boasted pictographs spanning 160 feet.  Our photos aren’t as clear as they could be, as the sun was blaring directly on them.  Now you know I am often tired of all these Indian paintings, but these were so plentiful and quite a bit more skilled than most we have visited.  It is estimated they are over 2,000 years old.

Our last stop on this tour was the San Rafael Bridge.  This swinging bridge was built in 1935, and gave vehicle access to areas of the Swell that had never been explored by tire.  It was adjacent to a great campground/picnic area, and as is most of the areas we have visited in Utah, frequented by many many ATV’s.

So although we were “escaping” the bad weather, this stop turned into five days of enjoyment and exploring.  Now you can’t ask for better than that!