And Southwest Trip
May 2021
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| Rustic "readerboard" shows the schedule |
Niece Lauren had postponed her wedding once already when the pandemic hit but now that the worst was over (we thought) they rescheduled for spring in the St. Louis area. We considered flying but dreaded the idea of being in an airplane with lots of people who may or may not be vaccinated, so we decided to add a trip to the southern Utah desert to our itinerary on the way back. Hauling the trailer would give us options for lodging on the way out and for camping on the way back.
3 May, Mon – We got packed up and on our way by close to 0930, pretty good for both of us being out of practice. It was I-90 all the way except when we ran into a back-up due to an accident in Spokane. There we got off the freeway to get gas (didn’t have enough to make it to Coeur d’Alene) at an expensive – but cheaper than Issaquah - 76 Union. We took the surface streets far enough to avoid the tied-up traffic and continued on over Fourth of July Pass and Lookout Pass. When we passed the turnoff for Sloway CG, a sign indicated that it was closed. We wondered if Quartz Creek might be closed as well, It was. Oh well, we could always try to park at Walmart in Missoula. But at the Tarkio exit, we saw a sign for fishing access. Exploring the short (3/4 mi) gravel road we found a huge, empty parking lot, two, actually, as well as a boat ramp. It was a fine place to spend the night (as long as one did not read the fine print on the Rules sign that said “no overnight stays”). No one bothered us and we had a pleasant night. Early on we saw a turkey and an osprey who flew from its nest.
4 May, Tue – Up at 0700 and out by 0900. I figured that our distance was relatively short so there was no reason for an earlier start. We kept moving pretty steadily with an occasional pit stop and a gas stop just before Butte (2.839, 44.66). We also stopped at Costco in Bozeman and got a bag of gluten-free crackers and a 6-pack of undershirts for me. By then I was thinking about how early we were going to reach Billings (1630) and how that meant a long time hanging out at Walmart. When we reached Billings, we stopped at a McDonald’s and consulted maps and apps to see alternatives. We finally decided to go for Connors Battlefield SP in Ranchester where we had stayed during two Sandturn Fly-ins, about two hours south. Our fallback would be something in Sheridan. On the way we made one stop at the Little Big Horn Battlefield NM; but it was closed (at 1630), so we used the facilities at a local Conoco station. We got to Ranchester around 1830 and after some maneuvering found the campground open and unpopulated. The only downside was that the price for non-residents had gone to. No hookups at all but the pit toilets were clean, and we had our pick of the sites.
5 May, Wed – Up a little earlier but still hit the road just about the same time, right around 0900. We slept better with the extra warmth of a down comforter over the sleeping bags. We got gas in Ranchester rather than get off the highway again in Sheridan, and we didn’t stop again except for a couple of rest stops. When we were near Rapid City, I parked long enough to find out that there was a Culver’s in one of the many strip malls. We stopped to reacquaint ourselves with their frozen custard (____). When we came out, the showers had stopped and the virga had mostly cleared from the sky. We got gas at Holiday (2.889, 36.44) before heading down the road to Wall where we turned south
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| Mountain sheep says welcome to the Badlands. |
on SR240. We passed the obvious boondocking spot just outside the border of Badlands NP. The ride through BNP was time-consuming due to slow traffic, a Rocky Mountain sheep jam (three big males right alongside the road), and construction delays. When we finally reached the park headquarters and the Cedar Pass campground, we were surprised to see so many campers and RVs. Still, we had no problem finding a level site on the roadside. We were going to leave the trailer and head right off to find a hike even though the info center had already closed, but I had an episode of SVT and couldn’t shake it until I had taken one of the blood pressure pills (Metoprolol) and done the maneuver where you push hard and then have some help to put your feet up in the air. That seemed to do it and by 1730 we were at the trailhead for the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail (recommended by an SD camper parked next to us). It was only a half-mile loop which was mostly covered with boardwalks and
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| C.J. on a hike in the Badlands |
gained only 200 ft, but it had juniper trees and great views back down into the White Valley and the park HQ. Since we still had some energy and there was plenty of light left, we drove west a short distance to the Saddle Pass TH. That trail was very different; although it was only ¼ mile long, the narrow trail went up steeply on slippery scree. The views were even better and there was occasional sunshine. We got to the pass (which was on a grassy plateau) and walked to the junction with two other trails, Castle and Medicine Root. We descended (carefully) the same trail we had climbed and returned to the car and camp and got set up. While eating the leftover meatloaf for supper, we watched a good sunset. The wind was still blowing, and it hadn’t warmed up at all, but at least we hadn’t got any rain.
6 May, Thu – We got up a little earlier and were able to get out of camp by 0820. We stopped at the Door and Window viewpoint and walked out a short distance on one of the trails. Then we got on the road heading for Amana, Iowa. We stopped for gas and some groceries (greens, Diet Coke, and Hershey’s Kisses for the yarn-covered plastic canvas toys that C.J. was making for the grandnieces) in Mitchell (----). Then we drove and drove and drove through South Dakota and Iowa for a total of 11 hours to reach the Amana RV Park around 2100. [We stopped for gas again in a small town west of Des Moines. We didn’t bother hooking up to electricity or water and C.J. made a Mediterranean chicken salad which didn’t produce many dishes. We got to bed around 2200.
7 May, Fri – We got up just after 0630 and got out of camp around 0800 but we drove only to the campground shower facility. After cleaning up we headed mostly south on US 219, then a jog east on I-64 and south again on state routes until we hit I-44 west. We stopped in O’Fallon for a snack at Culver’s () and reached the Comfort Inn in Sullivan around 1500. While we were moving our stuff into the room, we found that a jar of yogurt had leaked and I had to clean it up. We cleaned up a bit and went to the rehearsal dinner at 1700 at Seven T Farms, the wedding venue. There were lots of choice for drinks and the meal was a Mexican buffet (which looked like it could feed twice as many people). We met quite a few people besides the family, Bill and Sherry in particular, Rosario and Larry, and a lawyer whose name we cannot recall (Mike and his wife, Terry, a state rep). Headed home around 2100.
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| Lauren and Justeen married at a ranch-style venue |
8 May, Sat – Up at 0800 so we could get to breakfast before it closed at 0900. We were joined by Rosario and Larry, and later by Bill. It appeared that Betty had been assigned the kids to take care of while the wedding party went out to Seven T Farms, maybe for more practice. The weather looks very iffy for an outdoor ceremony. We caught up on some of our email. C.J. and I took a walk around the nearby city park and then had a healthy lunch of the chips from the wedding swag bag. C.J. talked to Mary about getting together; Mary thought it might be raining on Sunday so that Monday would be better for her un-vaccinated family members. I wasn’t crazy about sticking around until Monday without something to do on Sunday. A call tomorrow a.m. will decide the matter. Otherwise, if we do go, I found a nearby Comfort Inn for $53 plus tax where we can drop off the trailer and stay overnight. We headed over to the wedding around 1600; the ceremony was at 1630 and went about 30 minutes. It was held outdoors since the weather had suddenly cleared up and the sun had warmed the air (although, it was still quite windy). There was a cocktail hour afterward followed by a BBQ buffet dinner; “gooey butter cake” slices and frosted brownies were the substitute for a traditional wedding cake. Dancing followed and we left around 2100 thinking about getting up early enough to get ready to go by 0900.
9 May, Sun – We got up early enough, but the weather was looking pretty bad for going to Chicago for an outdoor picnic with Mary and family. So we had breakfast and said goodbye to everyone and got on the road to wherever we might end up. Six hours would put us in Salina, KS. However, we pushed on another hour or two and ended up in a Walmart in Russel, KS. Gas in Sullivan and again outside of Topeka in Hays.
10 May, Mon – Heavy rain at night, but dry by morning. We bought gas in town after maneuvering through a bunch of Main Street detours. Gas again in Burlington when we crossed over into Colorado. Somewhere along the way we used Free Roam app to find a Love’s station that had propane and got a fill – 3 gal @3.99/gal. We ran into bad weather, and it was slow going through Denver in traffic (so bad that we even skipped stopping at a Freddy’s Frozen Custard). There was new snow on the mountains as we headed over the two high (11,000 and 10,000 ft) passes on I-70, and even some left on the roofs of buildings along the highway, but none on the road. Once over Vail, the weather cleared somewhat so we had some blue sky and puffy clouds with great scenery. We had set the GPS for Glenwood Springs but didn’t have anything in mind for camping (or motelling), so we stopped at Eagle to check various apps for ideas. I found out that Quality Inn would be about $100 with tax and, even though we had begun to have rain showers again, that seemed like a lot. C.J. checked out some state parks near Rifle; I couldn’t find any reasonable boondocking sites. However, we ran into another Aliner couple from Renton who introduced us to her brother who lives there. He told us about a local site up on Bellyache Ridge called Camp Loop. We gave it a try, driving all the way to the top on a rough road that looked like it would be a muddy mess if it rained. From the top, the sky looked threatening, and on the way down we started getting sleeted on. I was glad to escape the boondoggle unscathed (mostly – later we found that the trailer had bounced everything around pretty wildly). Heading on toward Glenwood Springs, we drove through Glenwood Canyon (Colorado R) and stopped at a rest area for a short walk. No camping was permitted so we pushed on to the Walmart in GS. Unfortunately, no overnight parking was allowed there either. Back on the road C.J. called the WM in Rifle and got approval to overnight. That saved us from having to drive another 15 miles up a secondary road in the dark to reach Rifle Falls State Park. On the way through Rifle we spotted a Culver’s and ordered takeout (the dining room closed at 2000) and ate in the car. Once we got to WM and set up the trailer, we wrote in our journals until after 2200.
11 May, Tue – We got out of Walmart around 0920 and stopped for what passes for cheap gas at Kum’n’Go in Rifle. It was only 170 miles (?) to our turnoff beyond Green River, so it was going to be a short day of driving. We stopped at Parachute for the rest room and at the Utah Welcome Center about 30 miles across the border. We filled up the tank (and bought a box of Triscuits) in Green River. Once we turned onto SR24, it was only another 26 miles to the Temple Mtn Jct, and the access road to Goblin Valley State Park. We drove the five miles to the intersection of the road that leads about five miles south to the park. Then we continued on the (surprise) paved road for about a mile to a large BLM dispersed camping site with two outhouses. Soon after, the road turned to gravel, rough in places. After about another mile we reached a less populated BLM site with a great view
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| "Three Sisters" at Goblin Valley State Park |
of Temple Mountain (three groups of campers and one was in an A-Frame). We chose a good spot, put some water in the solar shower, then set up then drove back to the junction and down to GVSP where we checked out the small visitor center and paid ($20) for a pass good for two days. We picked up some trail info and a brochure on Little Wild Horse (slot) Canyon. We decided on hiking the 1.2-mi Curtis Bench Trail and we were surprised to find no other cars in the trailhead parking lot. The weather was quite warm with gusty winds, and few clouds. There were good views of Goblin Valley along the way and at the rocky point at the terminus. We did not climb down into the valley. Back at the car, we drove to the 24-unit campground (no vacancy, C.J. had called ahead and found that out) and filled up all of our water containers. Then we drove to the big overlook above Goblin Valley. We saw someone who had injured her leg being carried away on a litter. We descended a long stairway to the floor of the valley and wandered around among all the hoodoos. The sun was getting low enough that the colors and shadows were getting better. By the time we climbed out of the valley, we were pretty tired and headed back to camp where C.J. prepared some snacks followed by a cold dinner. We ate the snacks outside, but it was starting to cool down, so we ate dinner inside with a great view of Temple Mtn from our big window. Once the sun set, it got chilly.
12 May, Wed – It wasn’t as cold as we had expected up above 5000 ft, but it was cool in the morning. We didn’t get an early start but reached the end of the paved road at the Little Wild Horse Canyon TH (Ding and Dang Canyons are farther along the unpaved road) in time to be on the trail by 1030. Since the parking lot was full, we expected a crowd, but most people must have gotten an earlier start because it was not bad at all, It was 0.5 mi up the wash to where the trail forked, one going to Bell Canyon and the other to LWHC; the jct
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| C.J. in Little Wildhorse slot canyon |
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| View of Temple Mountain from our trailer window |
a windbreak). C.J. used a Knorr noodle stroganoff mix with some chopped up chicken to make a good dinner. We were really tired, but we spent some time getting prepared to leave on Thursday. We had met another couple from Seattle in the camp and they had told us about a pictographs panel in a separate section of Canyonlands NP (The Maze) called Horseshoe Canyon. We thought that sounded like something to do on the way toward home. Later I found out that it was a 31-mile dirt road to the canyon and then a three-mile walk (couldn’t find out if that was one way or round trip). So, we’re most likely not doing that although we can drag the trailer to the drop-off parking lot and see if anyone there knows.
13 May, Thu – We got off at 0920. I missed the poorly marked turn for Horseshoe Canyon, but I wasn’t too disappointed. We stopped at a viewpoint a few miles past where we could see Wild Horse Butte to the west – good views of some red Entrada sandstone and a few quirky hoodoos like “prairie dog” and “Brigham Young”. After passing through Hanksville, the scenery got better and better as we climbed to the entrance to Capitol Reef NP. There were crowds of people at every trailhead and exhibit. Clearly there would be no place to camp there. We continued on through Torrey and cut over to Kosharem and south passing Otter Creek Res. SP. We found a rest area not on the GPS; it had life-size silhouettes of traders on horseback representing the (Otter Creek Cutoff of the) old Spanish Trail from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. After a few more twists and turns we hit I-15 and turned north to Beaver. We got overpriced gas (3.469, 51.89) and shopped for the few groceries we would need for the next two days. Leaving Beaver, we turned west and drove over several basins and ranges until we entered Nevada. It was only a few more miles to Baker and the (closed) Great Basin NP visitor center. Since the signs indicated vacancies at all the campgrounds, we headed in toward the Lehman Caves Visitor Center where we picked up a map/brochure and headed to the lowest elevation CG at 7300 ft. It was filled but the upper Lehman CG had several sites available (7500 ft). It had been in the 80s for most of the afternoon and it was warm enough at the campground for us to take a little hike before settling down for a snack in our folding chairs with a view of the rushing stream. C.J. finally decided to open a can of vegetables to go with the rotisserie chicken we had bought at our first Walmart stop out of Missouri. After cursing the old can opener, we threw it away and will pick up a new one before our next trip.
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| Sunset at Great Basin National Park |
14 May, Fri – We got up sort of early but did not get going until just after 0900. We got gas in Ely. From there it was a long drive over one range after another on US 50, aka, the loneliest road in the US. We stopped to find a bathroom in Eureka (the town before Austin) and had to resort to going to the Senior Center after a search of the local parks turned up nothing but locked doors. A surprise just before Austin was that the USFS campground that I had thought about using was closed. We turned north toward Battle Mountain at Austin, then hit I-80 and headed west to Winnemucca. We should have bought gas at a Maverick in BM when we saw it for $3.159 because in Winnemucca the price had jumped from $3.029 the previous day to ($3.249) when we got there. It was around 1630 when we headed north on US140 to Denio and on into Oregon. We stopped before the Alvord Desert to get some water and then continued on. The sun had set by the time we reached Burns and checked into Burns RV Park . Fortunately one of the owners/managers came out and helped us figure out the paperwork. I got the first shower in what felt like a long time. We read for a while and didn’t get to bed until around 2300.
15 May, Sat – Although I got up early we still didn’t get going until 0900 because I took another shower. Heading north on US 395, we soon came to the boundary of the Malheur National Forest and lots of places we could have stayed either boondocking or at Idlewild or Joaquin Miller campgrounds. There were a lot of ups and downs and curvy roads as we headed toward John Day where we got gas. Since we were trying to reach home this day, we did not take the time to visit the John Day Fossil Beds (the Sheep Rock Unit between Dayville and Kimberley. However, we scoped out a FS CG (Sparr?) at the summit south of JD, and Halliday State Recreation Area with camping just outside of JD where we might stay if we return. There were more valleys and summits as we continued north until we came out into the open grassland near Pendleton where we hit I-84. We made one stop for gas at Costco in Union Gap and another, celebratory, stop at Winegars in E-burg for ice cream (an espresso shake, for me). We were home around 1730 and did all the unpacking and some trailer cleaning-out. Looks like the grass is high, but there are no mole hills: work for Sunday-Monday along with laundry, lots of it.
Great trip! We're really glad we got to spend time with my family at the wedding. and the SW scenery in Utah was - uh - scenic. Glad we were there in the early spring while the daytime temperatures weren't too high. Looks like we may need to go back to the John Day part of Oregon to check out the fossil beds among other things.
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