Moab 2009

We went to Moab, UT for about 5 days last week and it was GORGEOUS! The weather was beautiful almost the entire time. We did get a few rain showers on Saturday and a couple on Sunday as we were heading out but we really couldn't have asked for better. The temperatures were nice and warm but not too warm like last year. We trailered the Suzuki so that Sam didn't have to do any mechanical work on it while we were down there to get it ready for the trail vs. highway. We were so blessed to have a vehicle with tow capabilities lent to us for the occasion(Thanks James and Gayle!).


Six hours after leaving we got to our camp site and it was FANTASTIC! Our site was right next to the playground so we could successfully keep an eye on Connor while he played and also get our tent set up without too much drama. It worked great all week with meal cooking and whatnot also. Next time I'll need to remember to request site G13(I'm logging that number here so I can refer to it later.)


That first night we just lounged around and cooked some yummy foil dinners over a campfire. It was nice and cozy. We were so blessed to have Connor and Bear go down to sleep relatively easily. Especially for not being in their normal environment. We got started pretty early the next morning and decided to go on a trail called Hell's Revenge. It's a difficult trail with some pretty grueling obstacles. The little Sidekick did great though, even if my heart beat stopped a few times along the trail. Also, keep in mind, I am not the best photographer when it comes to capturing the angle of the vehicle. Hills in picture are steeper than they appear.



Plus, the boys, especially Connor, had a great time on the trail. Even though at the end of the day, they were ZONKED and super cranky.



Towards the end of Hell's Revenge we met a couple guys and they invited us to join their group the next day as they rode a trail called Steel Bender. They were with a 4x4 Club from Boise, Idaho. After we finished Hell's Revenge we came back to the campground and decided to enjoy the gorgeous sunny weather by taking a dip in the pool. It was a little chilly at first but once you got in, it was so refreshing. Connor and I had a great time! Bear wasn't so fond of it, so Daddy and Bear stayed out for most of the time.



After the swimming, we had a hot dog dinner around the campfire and Connor made friends on the playground. He is quite the socializer. He wasn't nearly as interested in the playground if he was alone on it but he sure loved playing with the other kids when they were on it.



On Day 2, we decided to join the 4x4 Club from Idaho on a trail called Steel Bender. It wasn't a trail that we initially planned on running but after reading up on it, we decided it would be really fun and even better to run it with a group of other people. It was a long day but we had a really good time and I got a really good sunburn on one half of my body.





Day 3 turned out to be my favorite and I think Sam's favorite too. The forecast publicized rain so we tried to get everything that we could, prepared to get wet. We decided because of the rain forecast that we would stick to an easy trail so as not to get stuck in the middle of nowhere with no one around. The trail we did was called Chicken Corners. It follows along parts of the Colorado River and it's the location where the end of Thelma and Louise was filmed, where they drive their car off the cliff. Anyway, we drove out there and it was absolutely beautiful with the rain misting everything. The sun would peak out every once in a while and the views were just incredible.




Chicken Corners isn't a round trip, so you drive all the way out and then drive the same trail back. Well, about halfway back, there is turnoff for another longer, more difficult trip called Kane Creek. We stopped there for lunch and got some really cute shots of the kids.





As we were winding down from lunch, we saw a HUGE storm rolling in...really fast. So we packed it into the car and decided that it would be a waste to go back to the campground because we'd end up just sitting in the car or tent anyways so we decided to head up the Kane Creek trail and see what it looked like......it was the best decision for the trip! We asked the people coming out what they thought and everyone seemed to think it looked good so off we went!


This trail was so much fun for me....yeah, I know, can you believe it?! I learned quite a bit the day before about the "science" of rock crawling and we encountered a couple really challenging obstacles. I got to use my newly acquired knowledge to help Sam "spot" the suzuki through some difficult parts. It was loads of fun for me to be a help rather than a hinderance to his passion. Here are some of the fun shots from the trail.



Plus we took some fun shots of us! I'm gonna post a few of the same pose...look at Bear's face in sequence....so funny!



Bear got to ride with me in the front seat a couple times because he was screaming uncontrollably and because we wanted to make sure that his spinal chord was still attached to his brain after all the jolting....this is an exaggeration, he wasn't in any danger at all. He loved it....apparently!


For our last night there, Sam and I made a pretty big fire and enjoyed lounging in front of it while the boys slept. It was great to reflect over the past few days and also talk about some long term things that we want to accomplish.

I'm so grateful that Sam wanted to take this trip as it was a great time for our little family. Even if we were pooped rather than refreshed on the way home....