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Published: July 17th 2007
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7/16 Day… Oh whatever
Our jackalope has been getting a fair amount of attention and appreciation, especially in Wyoming, where the Jackalope is to the Deep West as the Sasquatch is to the Northwest. Perhaps the most common comment is “I think you hit a jackalope”. A number of children, (families too), have wondered what kind of animal it is, and we get lots of smiles. For a few, our furry hood ornament has proven photo-worthy. One consequence of the jackalope’s prominent frontal positioning is that the devil duck has garnered less notice than it might. However, it served as a beacon for Molly’s family, (hello Brennans), and was deemed cool by some teens in the know at the Star Plunge in Thermopolis.
Now back to our regularly scheduled blog…
Day 9 7/14 Mile 1772
Heading south from Lander, WY., we travel through canyons and the southern end of the Wind Rivers range. At South pass, elevation 7550’, we stop to see the Oregon Trail. I am deeply moved at the thought of people walking for months across this vast territory. Standing in their very wheel ruts I feel the gravity of the amazing choice that compelled people
to set off on this journey to virtually unknown territory, carrying their lives with them in wagons. I begin to appreciate the toughness and tenacity of these people in a way one cannot if you’ve never looked from horizon to horizon in this wide open country. Oregon Trail, California Trail, Mormon Trail and Pony Express - all came this way.
Further on, we skirt the bottom of Flaming Gorge, so named for the red rock cliffs along the reservoir. A picture is worth a thousand words, so just take a look… Our goal this day has been to avoid driving all day, looking for a camping spot anywhere south of Flaming Gorge that appeals to us. Having spent the previous night in the relative splendor of the Lander Pronghorn Motor Lodge, Bowen is somewhat disgruntled to camp again. So when we reach Steinaker State Park at close to 7:00 pm, and the wind whips up, possibly bringing showers our way, the stage is set for a little family tension. We all hop to to pitch Tentzilla in a strengthening gale. A few harsh words are spoken and some pouting further darkens the sky, but wait… the wind dies down,
the rain clouds pass with nary a sprinkle, and everyone’s good humor is restored. The grilled steak dinner seals the deal, (we really do travel on our stomachs), and a long evening is spent playing our travel version of Trivial Pursuits, breathing in the fragrance of desert sage on the fire, and star gazing in the dark Utah night.
Day 10 7/15 Mile 1978
Today we get the camp breakdown to less than 1 ½ hours - yeah! Our route takes us through dinosaur territory. They’re everywhere. Sadly, when we make our way to the Utah side of Dinosaur National Monument, we find the main visitor’s building at ‘The Quarry’ closed due to major structural failure. A few cornball photos next to the dino statues and we’re off.
Once through western Colorado and back into Utah, we hit Route 128. This is one of the most scenic roads I have ever been on; it drops down to run along the Colorado River not far out of Cisco, (one of the most grim and depressing places you’ll ever see on the map).
I ooh and aah and point all the way to Moab, forcing Kate to look out the window
instead of drawing or playing Nintendo. She was not as impressed as I.
Very happy to once again be staying in a motel, the kids are willing to indulge Bill and me in a sunset trip to Arches. Right as the sun had set, we all walked down into ‘Park Avenue’. I know immediately that no matter what I write about being in this red rock canyon country, I can never communicate the jaw-dropping wonder that I feel. Though I won’t be able to stop myself from trying, no photo will ever convey how this place looks. Some German girls are singing out at the top of the canyon to test the echoes. Their beautiful tones ring out and repeat through the other-worldly canyon. You’ll just have to come and see for yourself.
Day 11 7/16 (again)
The chief component of our heat survival strategy consists of getting up, as Bill likes to say, at the ass-crack of dawn. For him, 5 is practically sleeping in, but for Kate and Bowen, this is a painful proposition. The plan is to be active from 6 to 12, chill out, (literally), by the pool in the afternoon, and to get active
again after 6 pm. Today, at Canyonlands National Park, the strategy pays off. Once on the trail, the kids wake up. Everyone is impressed by the landscape. Enough said.
This evening is a delight; dining, strolling, and shopping in Moab.
Arches tomorrow, rafting the West water Canyon of the Colorado on Wednesday. WOW.
Dana
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Jill Stewart
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Lack-a-popes and Jackalopes
Hey Arnim-Hucks clan, don't forget to keep your bone-dry eyes peeled for the other fauna of the ever-changing desert: toad-runners, which can be heard at dusk politely belching, and drag-pies - loud camp birds that steal drying underwear for camouflage. Wish I were there! - Jill