Day 11- Telluride, CO - Moab, UT Day 12- Moab, UT - Twin Falls, ID

Day 11- Telluride, CO - Moab, UT Day 12- Moab, UT - Twin Falls, ID 

Day 11 

The days are getting so action packed that it’s hard for me to remember everything that happened two days ago, yet sometimes I’m just too damn tired to write daily. I’m actually too tired now as we just completed our first midnight pop up after a 9 hour drive. But, alas, the memory thing certainly wouldn’t work after three days, so here I go. 

Waking up in Telluride on pack out day is bittersweet. There’s always so much that I feel I don’t get to do whether it’s visit with friends, get that one hike in, or buy that damn KOTO Stealie tie dye that I always see in the window of a shop on Main St. The only solution going forward is to make sure we have a full week in Telluride next time.  

Maggie and I started our day with our walk into town for coffee and pastries. We walked around a bit stopping at the hardware store for a propane gauge and postcards and leaving the hardware store with said items and a Yeti cup, you know, because Maggie’s birthday is in January. 

Our pop down went significantly smoother with the adjustments made in Goodland, KS and we were on our way to Moab before 9 putting us there by noon. Marc and Katie and our friends, Caleb and Tyler, decided Moab sounded like a great adventure as well and met us there shortly after we finished our lunch at Moab Diner. 

We convoyed from there to HWY 128 where we quickly found a couple of spots to boondock right on the Colorado River in the middle of a canyon just minutes from Arches National Park. We set up camp and headed out for a few hikes in Arches.  

The natural rock formations here are absolutely mind blowing. Caleb has a knack for pulling your inner adventurer out and had us climbing rocks to get the most amazing views. We hiked the Window Arches first and then headed deep into the park for Devil’s Garden where the Landscape Arch exists as the payoff for hiking over rock and through sand for almost 2 miles. I was most impressed with August’s ability and lack of fear that he showed on these hikes. I was really worried about how he would handle hiking the mountainous terrain but he is killing it!  With a few miles if hikes and climbs under our belt, we decided we’d just drive to the Delicate Arch view point for a quick gander before heading to the Sunset Grill for dinner.  

Dinner. Where do I start? We made a reservation for 7 people early in the day for 7:30pm which would put us at the restaurant that is famous for its sunset views from its outdoor deck just in time for sunset. Well, I’ll just say this as to not bore you with the details- If you have one night in Moab, and you are camping in a beautiful spot in a canyon on the Colorado River, don’t go to Sunset Grill for the sunset. My meal was underwhelming and overpriced and the sunset deck was closed. We ate inside, and while the whole face of the restaurant is glass, the view was also underwhelming. We did; however, have a nice time sharing a couple bottles of wine and ever interesting conversation. $200 lighter, we returned to camp with full bellies and a lesson learned. 

We reconnected with Marc and Katie as Caleb started a fire and the conversation and laughter continued into the darkness. It didn’t take long for me to start fading, and Maggie and I retired to the camper shortly after we had laid August down.  The night was so beautiful that we opened the canvas windows in the pop up to feel the night breeze blowing through the canyon. It wasn’t long before that breeze turned to violent gusts. The strong winds startled us but only lasted for a short while and I was able sleep deeply.  

Day 12 

We woke up today refreshed and ready for gas station chorizo breakfast burritos and an impromptu trip to Canyonlands, less that an hour from Arches.  There are a couple things that amaze me about Canyonlands. First, these canyons are massive! They are deep and wide and showcase so many different rock textures. Secondly, there are no guardrails anywhere. They let idiots like us just walk up to the very edge of these cliffs and look over as we laugh about how deep the canyon is as our legs shake in fear. Again, having Caleb on trips like these has you pushing your limits for what you consider safe. Even Maggie, after yelling to me and August, “Stop right there! That’s far enough!” found herself climbing to the top of the same rock cluster she had tried to deter us from.  

After soaking in a few hours of the Canyonlands experience, it was time for us to move on and start making our way to Portland. We decided to push as far as we could tonight and made it to Twin Falls, ID a day earlier than scheduled. The drive was gorgeous and we caught the entire sunset tonight from the road, driving straight into it. The sunset started around 8:15, and after painting the sky with an impressive palate, it still lit up the night sky well after 10:30 pm.  

We pulled into an RV park around 11:30 or so where Maggie and I completed our first late night pop up, and I’ve got to say, we have this thing down! In less than 20 minutes, we were unhooked, popped up and tucking August into bed.  

Now I lay me down to sleep, looking forward to our Twin Falls adventure before moving on to La Grande, OR. Well, it’s time to get some shut eye. See y’all tomorrow. 

And remember, be kind to yourselves and each other.  

Mike 

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