Colorado River

Sorrel River Ranch (back in the trees)

right on the Colorado

Abandoned Homestead--Castle Valley

Slick Rock CG, Moab, UT: Putzed around all morning. I sat outside enjoying the cool morning and reading and Mike played spades on the computer for a while. Then we headed into town and picked up some things at the drug store and then signed up for a jet boat trip on the Colorado tomorrow morning. Since it was like 102 already we decided to take a drive along the Colorado River in air conditioned comfort. Turned out to be a really beautiful drive. The road went right along the river with steep canyon walls on each side. There were a couple of resorts out there in the middle no nowhere. One was the Sorrel River Ranch—a beautiful place on a big bend in the Colorado. A pretty upscale place and they have a restaurant which we intend to try out. Took a side road over to the little town of Castle Valley. A pretty little place in this large valley with red sandstone bluffs on the east and west sweeping up from the valley floor at about a 45 degree angle and then the top 40 or 50 feet is shear sandstone cliffs. Then, in contrast, are the La Sal mountains off to the north. A study in contrasts. Back home around 4:00. Think it hit 103 today.

Balance Rock

We hiked up to this one

Wolfe Ranch

Slick Rock CG, Moab,UT: Got a pretty early start this morning. Had breakfast at Denny’s and then drove to the Arches visitor center to check it out. Then headed up into the park through a series of switchbacks. Guess we went up about 1000 ft. Drove through the park, stopping at all the viewing points and some of the arches and other formations were visible only by hiking to them. It was hot—around 100 by noon. But it was pretty breezy so it didn’t feel too bad. A beautiful place with some unusual rock formations. And, right in the middle of this rugged, remote area was the Wolfe Ranch. John Wesley Wolf came here in 1880 with his son, leaving his wife and three other children back in Ohio. He came here because of health problems due to a Civil War injury. Wolfe raised cattle here and eventually the herd grew to over 1000 head. They ordered groceries from the Sears, Roebuck Catalog about once every three months and picked them up at the Thompson Springs railway station—a day’s wagon ride away. About 3:00 we headed back to Moab. Picked up some groceries and then back home. Hit 104 today! Wow!