On Sunday, Amanda and I got a really early start. We were both wide awake at 6am, so we broke down our camp and were on the trail before 7am. Our destination this morning was to run the full 3D trail, so we made our way over to Hidden Canyon.
Entering the sandy Hidden Canyon
Great scenery in Hidden Canyon
we soon exited the short Hidden Canyon and started making our way over to the Hidden Canyon Overlook.
Lunar Canyon
For the final weekend in April we decided to head back to Moab. We were originally planning on checking out the car show, but after encountering the crowd and traffic that was present in Moab, we got out of town and stayed away as best we could. Many people complain about the crowds during EJS, but let me tell you….it’s much worse during the car show. I will not be heading into Moab on the car show weekend again…
Anyways, let’s get on with the trip report! On Saturday we left Junction bright and early and headed into Moab via the Gateway-Castleton Road, which was my first trip of the season using that route. We made out way north of town and setup camp in the Horsethief Campground. Once camp was setup we made our way out to Mineral Point.
View down on the Green River and the mouth of Hellroaring Canyon
Peeking down on the Green River
While searching for a geocache on the point, we came across this rock with a hole in it. Kind of a mini-arch. Amanda peeking through.
…and Amanda took this photo of me standing on it
If you remember, a few weeks ago I broke a leaf spring in Moab on the White Rim Trail and had to replace it with a new one. With the new spring and the old saggy spring my Jeep has been a little crooked. I finally got sick of it and ended up ordering another new spring from Jason at JeepinOutfitters.
The leaf spring showed up today at my office. After a dentists appointment after work, I managed to get the new spring installed in about an hour. Now my Jeep is pretty much level again 
New and old spring
Almost in
Two more books I picked up recently…one for some local hikes and another for some information on a few canyons in the Book Cliffs.
A Recreation Guide to the Book Cliffs – Thompson, Sego, Sagers and Crescent Canyons by Chris Moore
Had a good weekend in Moab this last weekend, however, I doubt I will be heading to Moab again during the annual Car Show (….and people think Moab is busy during EJS!). For the most part the weather was decent, except for some wind late on Saturday and a few scattered rain showers.
Here’s a few photos from the weekend until I can get around to putting together a trip report. Not sure when that will be, as I have a busy week and we are leaving for the San Rafael Swell on Friday after work…..so it could possibly be next week before I get around to it.
We’re headed out to Moab for the weekend….our SPOT will be on so you can track us if you like. We’re planning on heading into town through Gateway for the first time this season
Pictures when we get back, of course 
I spend a lot of time researching why land features have the name that they do. Some are easy to figure out because of their shape, but there are a lot of place names I come across that are not as easy. While doing some research a few weeks ago, I ran across these two books which contained a lot of the information I have spent much time seeking in the past. These two books should help me out greatly
Utah Place Names by John W. Van Cott
1001 Colorado Place Names by Maxine Benson
I picked up a JetBoil PCS today, just in time for our Moab trip this weekend. We were looking for a quick and easy way to make some meals when we were out camping (especially for a trip I am planning in August….more on that in the future). Plus, it’s an easy way for us to make some hot chocolate out in the field (neither of us drinks coffee).
I really liked the small size and the fact that everything fits nicely inside the cup. It also is supposed to boil water very fast. I guess we ill find out this weekend when we are able to test it in the field
Packed up
I ordered a new little gadget earlier this week that showed up today. I figured a ‘netbook’ would make a great little laptop to use around the house and on my trips to get internet access, without having to lug around my bigger laptop. It would also allow me to get my photos off my memory cards for my camera on longer trips so that I do not run out of space.
I ended up going with the Asus Eee PC 1000HE. Here’s a few of the main specs:
….and all of that is in a very small package with a very usable keyboard and screen….running Windows XP Home.
The actual size of the netbook is: 10.47” x 7.3” x 1.12-1.50”S
So far I am really enjoying this netbook and think it will work great for me out in the field, as well as around the house.
Sunday, I woke up and broke down camp in the rain and snow. It had again rained most of the night. I didn’t have any specific plans for Sunday, but with the wet weather, I figured I’d make it a short day and head home early. After heading back north through Moab, I fueled up again and headed out of town on UT 128.
By the time I reached Castle Valley, the skies had actually started to clear.
One of the trails on my ‘to do’ list has been the Dolores River Overlook, so I decided to check out that trail before heading home. The trail is an easy road the whole way to the overlook, but the scenery is nice
View down on the Dolores River from the overlook
From the overlook I was also able to look down on the end of the Dolores River trail that takes off from Gateway, CO and ends at the mouth of Cottonwood Canyon, which I had checked out last spring.
After enjoying the scenery I turned around and was about to head back home, when I ran across the group from ExpeditionUtah that were running the Kokopelli trail that weekend. Greg invited me to join them for a bit, so I turned around and followed them to Rose Garden Hill.
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