wacky weather weekend
May. 3rd, 2010 04:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ilanaramaBritt and I wanted to get out of town, so we hopped into the Sportsmobile for a weekend in the canyons of SE Utah. He had in mind a place he'd heard of called Johns Canyon, at the south end of Cedar Mesa, just north of Mexican Hat on the San Juan River.
It took us about 2.5 hours to get to the turn-off. Then we spent the next hour winding along a tiny high-clearance dirt road that skirted the edge between Cedar Mesa looming above us and the side canyons that cut through to the river below us. We parked under a spreading cottonwood tree, had lunch, and then pulled on our hiking boots and spent a pleasant cool and sunny afternoon exploring a branch of Johns Canyon which ended about 3 miles upstream of our camp in a large pour-over alcove.
We got back to our van in time to relax with some wine and snacks before I made dinner, although the wind had picked up and although it was still sunny, it was more pleasant to hang out in the van than outside. Our plan for the next morning was to explore downcanyon on the opposite side from where we'd come in, then drive back to Durango in the afternoon.
Except we woke to this:
And half an hour later it looked like this:
At which point we started inventorying how much food and water we had in the van, because the red clay roads in this area are largely impassable when wet. We had breakfast as the snow accumulated, although since we were under a cottonwood tree it wasn't too bad right there. We debated whether it would be worth trying to get out, with the knowledge that we might get stuck in a less-pleasant spot until things dried out. Around 11 am we decided to go for it.
It turned out to be not so bad; the steepest bits were also the rockiest, so we had traction where we needed it. Some of the curves were a little gooey, though, and some of those curves were distressingly close to drop-offs. Britt just took it slowly in the low range of our 4WD - I drove about 100 yards of it, through a gate he got out to open, but I really really didn't want to drive any more of it than that! I have never been so happy to see a paved road in my life.
12 photos (including more Sportsmobile pr0n just for Eric W.) on Flickr.
Also, a big thank you to whoever gave me (another!) month of paid time on Dreamwidth! Which is a good lead-in to tell you all that I'm directing comments to Dreamwidth now. I am still crossposting to LJ for the moment. If you would like a Dreamwidth invite code, just holler.
It took us about 2.5 hours to get to the turn-off. Then we spent the next hour winding along a tiny high-clearance dirt road that skirted the edge between Cedar Mesa looming above us and the side canyons that cut through to the river below us. We parked under a spreading cottonwood tree, had lunch, and then pulled on our hiking boots and spent a pleasant cool and sunny afternoon exploring a branch of Johns Canyon which ended about 3 miles upstream of our camp in a large pour-over alcove.
We got back to our van in time to relax with some wine and snacks before I made dinner, although the wind had picked up and although it was still sunny, it was more pleasant to hang out in the van than outside. Our plan for the next morning was to explore downcanyon on the opposite side from where we'd come in, then drive back to Durango in the afternoon.
Except we woke to this:
And half an hour later it looked like this:
At which point we started inventorying how much food and water we had in the van, because the red clay roads in this area are largely impassable when wet. We had breakfast as the snow accumulated, although since we were under a cottonwood tree it wasn't too bad right there. We debated whether it would be worth trying to get out, with the knowledge that we might get stuck in a less-pleasant spot until things dried out. Around 11 am we decided to go for it.
It turned out to be not so bad; the steepest bits were also the rockiest, so we had traction where we needed it. Some of the curves were a little gooey, though, and some of those curves were distressingly close to drop-offs. Britt just took it slowly in the low range of our 4WD - I drove about 100 yards of it, through a gate he got out to open, but I really really didn't want to drive any more of it than that! I have never been so happy to see a paved road in my life.
12 photos (including more Sportsmobile pr0n just for Eric W.) on Flickr.
Also, a big thank you to whoever gave me (another!) month of paid time on Dreamwidth! Which is a good lead-in to tell you all that I'm directing comments to Dreamwidth now. I am still crossposting to LJ for the moment. If you would like a Dreamwidth invite code, just holler.
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(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-03 11:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-03 11:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-03 11:52 pm (UTC)At least it was pretty? :D
(Stupid spring in SW CO!)
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Date: 2010-05-04 12:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-04 01:59 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-04 02:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-04 12:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-04 06:18 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-04 12:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-04 01:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-04 02:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-04 03:12 pm (UTC)Eric W.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-04 06:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-04 04:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-04 06:54 pm (UTC)