15 May 2006 Monday

We took off this morning and our route took us up the Moki Dugway.  This route started (according to a local in the town of Mexican Hat) as a path for cattle to get up on the top of the mesa to graze.  Now this road is a partial dirt road, partial paved and winds very steeply up the side of the mesa.  The views were incredible!!  You oversee the Valley of the Gods and the edge of Monument Valley National Park.  We saw a group of German tourists on motorcycles with a camper support truck going up too.  They stopped at an overlook, and we stopped too, for a few pictures (that’s when I realized they were German).  Side note: The “Oh My God Road” (sorry, can’t find a good link) in Colorado was scarier to drive, but the views were better on the Moki Dugway.

We continued out to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, but the Bullfrog Ferry was out of service.   We had to drive 75-80 miles out and around to get to Burr Trail in the area of Capitol Reef National Monument that we were heading for.  We got to Hall’s overlook, our trail tomorrow is the Brimhall Arch Trail, but it’s too late today to start the hike.  

We were just chilling out when another truck pulls up.  We met Dick Bradshaw from Salt Lake City, Utah.  He hung out with us most of the evening, telling us about some of the great trails in the area (he’s been hiking this area since the 60’s).  A rain shower came thru and all three of us were in the back of our truck for a while chatting.  The storm passed and we sat outside, Andrew and I drank our wine (Two-Buck Chuck from Trader Joe’s) and Dick was drinking vodka and Fresca.  He said he might just join us on the hike tomorrow and camped at the trailhead with us.  

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