So to catch up...Hubby retired at the end of August and our first trip out was to San Rafael Swell in Utah. If you like to ride ATVs or UTVs this is a great place to ride. Spent 4 day there riding with great friends and family
"Eons ago, tremendous geologic upheavals formed a giant dome of rock - a "swell" in the earth's surface. The harsh elements beat against this dome and eroded it into a wild, broken array of multi-colored sandstone. Wind and water carved this jumble of rock into incredible formations as buttes, canyons, pinnacles and mesas emerged, making the Swell one of the most ruggedly beautiful pockets of terrain in the world. That was how this area came to be known as the Swell." Taken from Utah.com
Day one, first trail we took was Black Diamond Wash.
At the bottom of this trail is where we found our first pictographs.
Above these is a cave and a few of us decided we had to go see it
This was not an easy climb and he is only half way up. They did make it to the cave. Nothing great to report back to those of us who stayed behind.
But scenery around us was amazing
Next we were off to Swaeys Leap.
Got to where the road ends and it is a 7 to 8 hour hike to the spot where Swazy leaped. It is just too hot do to the hike so it was left for another day.
( Swazys Leap, is named after Sid Swasey. Local legend has it that Sid bet his brother Joe that he could jump the gap on his saddle horse. According to the legend, Sid made the jump and won a herd of sheep from his brother. Several years later, Sheepherder Paul Hanson built a log bridge across Swaseys Leap for the purpose of getting his sheep across the flooded river. The log bridge fell into the river in 1997. from Climb-Utah.com)
So off again,
The rock formations and old mines and cabins are amazing. There are so many different shapes and colors. It is fun to just stop and see what you can see in each one. Like looking at the clouds and see what you see. You wonder how many years it has taken the weather to create these.
Day 2, More pictographs to be found. It is fun to try and decide what the story is.
From here we went to Devils Race Track
I cannot believe trees can grow in these rocks
The trail is a lot of rock climbing.
Now off to Swazy's cabin
A cool old bridge that spans I-70
Day 3, Another new trail to explore
Close to the Icebox Foot trail you will find
Day 4, listened to the rain all night. Not just a sprinkle but a down pour. Wasn't sure if I wanted to look out the windows of the motor home, but I did and this is what I found .....
Cooked breakfast and waited, and waited ....then the rain stopped and we were out to ride some more. This time it was to Temple Mountain..
This mountain has a rich mining history with interesting geological features.
The openings into the mines have been gated closed with this sign.
An old building at the bottom of the mine
day.
Off to Heart of Sinbad Road.
It has been a long day and lots of fun. Now it is time to head back to camp for a special dinner to celebrate dh retirement......crab!
And on the way we found a herd of wild horses.
What a great place to ride and enjoy nature. Now it is time to head for home (sticks and bricks) and finish canning and start getting everything ready for winter.
