October 2018 - Day 7

Spent the day hanging out in Mule Creek.  After hiking about 2 miles up the canyon we get to House of Fire ruins.   For about 2 hours each day the sun hits the roof just right so looks like “fire” going across the roof.  If you look close their are deer in the first picture.

We then drove further up the mesa for lunch and some nice views.

October 2018 - Day 5

We start the day heading to Natural Bridges NM and started by driving to Wash Comb.  It’s a long road that goes down the valley pictured here.

We then got to Natural Bridges which is best known for the three large bridges that scan this crazy canyon.  

From there we then headed to the Moki Dugway.  This is a where the paved road turns in to a dirt road and slowly edges down from the Mesa top to a desert floor.  Quite a view from the top.

We then drove through the Valley of the Gods.  Pictures speak for themselves.

October 2018 - Day 4

Today we headed to Hovenweep National Monument (stands for deserted canyon).  We were supposed to have some rain coming in so we headed out early to hopefully beat the storm.  It was overcast all day but that made for nice hiking weather.  The trail that goes along the rim is about 2 miles and bypasses the structures built along the canyon rim.  These structures were built around the same time as Mesa Verde.  At Hovenweep, they built pit houses, pueblos, towers, and kivas concentrated at the head of small canyons. Pictures can be spread with fingers to bigger view.

Tomorrow we head to Valley of the Gods.

October 2018 - Day 3

Another nice day so we took off for a day hike in the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park.  We started out at the Elephant Hill trailhead and headed to Chester Park.  This was the last day of fall break for Utah schools so the area was somewhat busy but it was still very nice.  I never get tired of this landscape and will continue to keep coming back.  You can click on photo for bigger version.

The weather is turning for the next few days so no plans as of now.  We need to do some things to the trailer.  We will probably go get some groceries and check out the visitors center.

October 2018 - Day 1 & 2

Day 1: we drove up to Mesa Verde National Park for two nights.  We stayed  at the Mesa Verde RV park which was only one mile from the park entrance.  On the drive up from Albuquerque, the engine light on the truck came on.  I checked the truck’s information center and found out that my fuel filter life was down to 3%.  I was able to get an appointment at Dodge dealer in Cortez for the next day.  I arrived around 8:00 and after the fuel filters were changed the check engine light was still lit.  After going thru the codes they determined we needed some kind of software download.  Auto repair sure isn’t what it used to be.  Thankfully, I got that done around 11:00 - had  some lunch back at the trailer and then spent the afternoon at Mesa Verde National Park. 

This is an overlook toward Mancos after driving up the initial hill in the park.  

We hiked the Petroglyph Point trail which starts at the museum on Chaplin Mesa.  Total trail length is about 3 miles which for the first half of the hike is the side of canyon and for second half of the hike we’re back on top of the Mesa heading back to the trailhead. The first mile and a half was a lot of up and down with the return being fairly level.  The weather could not have been any better.  The nights are getting below freezing so have been disconnecting the water to the trailer.  The days have been really nice so far.

Tomorrow we head to Blanding, Utah where we will stay for the next ten nights.