sharondi

It’s been five yrs since our last trip to southern Utah, and Peter and I have been aching to return. Finding dirt cheap flights and rental vehicle gave us the impetus we needed to start planning. We even decided to do some camping again this trip. Reservations were in the works by late May. We were going!

Our plans would include time at Canyonlands Needles, a full moon at Delicate Arch, and exploring ruins and rock art in Utah’s south eastern corner. We did quick visits to some old favorites like Capitol Reef & Bryce, and explored some interesting new places. We mixed car camping with small inns/motels, and only splurged a little at Boulder Mountain Lodge ($150/night). Most of our meals were in restaurants, and we enjoyed some fine dining along the way.

Mostly, we enjoyed every second of our 11 day trip, completely reaffirming our love for this magical place. Utah is an incredible state, bestowed with an abundance of history, culture and natural beauty. It won’t be another5 yrs before our next visit – that’s for sure.

Please enjoy our trip report……a rather long one but filled with photos. Happy to answer any and all questions.
Sharon and Peter

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/utah_2012_trip_report

emalloy

Thanks so much for posting your report!! It has me itching to get back to Utah.

The pictures were great. Did you get down to the Wolfman site when you were looking at the ruins in Butler Wash? I really worried that DH would wind up falling down the cliff with the keys to the rental car in his pocket when we were there and not a soul was seen all the time we were there.

The hike in Needles sounded like an adventure, if it did do a number on your legs, you're braver and younger than we are. We should have started visiting this area before we got so darn old.

peterboy

We didn't go to the Wolfman site...I think it is further south than where we were.

The hike in Needles was indeed an adventure. I'll be 61 in a month and Sharon is several years younger. I've had some knee injuries and broke a foot in several places in a tractor accident 30 years ago so the left leg has some issues. It is nice to know I can still get out and go 11 miles though.

I agree though, we should have started exploring Utah when we were younger...hindsight is golden after all.

sharondi

Thanks for checking out the trip report, emalloy. Where is the Wolfman panel in Butler?

emalloy

If you drive west from Bluff on 163 there is a cattle gate on the right opposite the sign to the airport. You drive in (close the cattle gate) a mile or so and when you get to a barb wire fence on the left, go left and you come to a place where you can park the car. There are some information panels there and you can see some ruins across the wash. Wolfman is on the side you are on, the path is pretty clear, you work down through a split rock onto a ledge and walk across to the site. I have a picture or two of the area at www.flickr.com/photos/emalloy2009
I think they are in the 2008 set.

If you are in the Moab area there are lots of sites and the VC at Arches gave us maps to several. There are some very nice pictographs and petroglyphs in Thompson Springs (Sego Canyon) which is north of I-70 about 10 miles east of where 191 hits 70. Just go north a couple of miles and you will find parking and pit toilets near some information panels.

emalloy

Nope it was the 2009 set.

peterboy

Wow emalloy, I was poking around your photo sets...you guys really get around! I'll be poking around your pics even more...thanks fore sharing. I see you've been to Buckhorn Wash...the pictograph you show is one of my favorites to paint.

I got some fun news yesterday...the Edge of the Cedars Museum in Blanding wants is interested in selling my rock art reproductions! They even have room for the larger ones. They will be shipped early next week.

It is nice that they are appreciated by folks that know what they are looking at...I always get a confused reaction to them here in Upstate NY.

While I was in Utah, one of my cave art reproductions was given to Steve Wozniak in appreciation for his support of Peaceful Acres, a horse rescue organization that rescues horses and uses some of them for equine therapy.

Here's The Woz and his wife with the painting:

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/146485002/large

and here's a link to Peaceful Acres...a great organization:

http://www.peacefulacreshorses.com/

emalloy

Congratulations on your art sales or potential sales!

We got hooked on rock art on our first trip to Vegas when a friend took us to Grapevine Canyon, near Laughlin. Since then we've gone to many sites on every trip and have revisited some sites several times. We always see something we hadn't noticed before.

There are still hundreds or thousands of sites left for us to visit, hopefully the economy makes that possible before too long.

peterboy

I hear you about the economy...we camped to save money on our trip but it turned out that some of our "most fun" times were while we were camping. I allows you to spend more time in the quiet and remote places. When we go back, we'll probably camp even more. A slightly larger tent and maybe an upgrade to thicker sleeping pads would be good though.

Yes, you could spend a lifetime and still not see all the amazing ruins and rock art in the area. I'm always very respectful of the ruins and sites and never touch anything. It is exciting to me to come upon these places in the wilderness...I have a great reverence for them.

Myer

Great trip and excellent report!!!

Thanks for sharing.

spirobulldog

I'm somewhat of a hummingbird nut. We have 50-100 birds in our backyard each summer. This summer we had a road runner that can catch them and eat them. He stalks them like a cat, very interesting to watch. He has a very low success rate. So, I liked your hummer pics.

You "white sauce" is gravy lol. Usually, it isn't sausage gravy though. I live in Oklahoma and everyone has it here. I like it best with jalapeno gravy. The gravy is normally made from the leftover grease after you've fried your steak. What is really unusualy about your pics, is that the mashed potatoes have brown gravy. CFS is almost always served with cream gravy.

I've always wanted to see that House On Fire.

We really like the spaghetti squash enchilada at Whiptail.

Enjoyed your pics.

peterboy

spiro, I opted for the brown gravy so that's why that is there. Clearly my grasp of CFS protocol is lacking\ .

House on Fire (aka Flaming House Ruin) is only a mile or so up Lower Mule Canyon...a pretty easy hike if you are in the area. My goal next time is to make a day of it and hike much further up to less visited ruins. Too many to see in a lifetime...

Dayle

Hi Sharon & Peter!

I've been looking forward to your report and since I have so little free time, I just finished it. Wonderful, and your pictures are truly gorgeous. You do Utah justice!

Thank you for sharing. You have made it to some places I have not made it to - yet. Chesler Park is definitly on the short list! Don't you love that campground? You are so lucky to have snagged a spot. My first visit there was on a Memorial Day Weekend and it was too hot to hike after noon, so just did the shorter ones you mentioned.

I really like your rock art paintings. Very well done and I wish you more success with them.

I knew I liked you both - Patty Melts are a guilty pleasure of mine too.....

We must put together a Fodor Friends of Utah GTG hiking trip. Escalante in the fall of 2013?! I know it will take some planning, but there are several long time posters I would just love to meet.

Seriously think about it!

And thanks again for another of your really wonderful trip reports!

sharondi

Hi Dayle,
Glad you enjoyed the pictures and report - it was such a great trip!

A gathering of Fodor's Friends of Utah would be fun! And Escalante would be a great spot to gather! We'll have to give that some thought and see if it's a possibility. Sure will be fun to consider!

Myer

Dayle,

What do you call "fall of 2013"?

Is that an excuse to go back to Utah?

Dayle

Should we start planning now??!! For southern Utah, I think of fall as early Oct. Prime hiking weather!

Who's in?

sharondi

Late Sept-early Oct is a great time - still warm but not roasting like it was in late Aug/early Sept on this year's trip (although temps were slighthly above normal).

Dayle

Sharon,

Could you and Peter make this? I know it would take some advance planning for our UT Lovers in Fodorville, but it sure would be a fantastic GTG!

Maybe we could get spirobulldog, myer,cmcfong, MRand, ebtraveler, even utahtea....

UT Fodorites, ncounty, StantonHyde,InSandy,dwooden and others!

Myer

Dayle,

I'll be in Glacier in early August.

Then I expect (still planning) we'll be in Italy the middle two weeks of September. This is later than we'd normally go but we ran into some conflicts. What we do for our kids and grandkids.

Unless I'm missing something, the very end of September and early October look good.

Myer

Dayle,

Why don't you start another thread for this?

Maybe get the others you mentioned that way.