5/10/08 Leaving Colorado Early-Moab is Beautiful

Unbeknownst to us, this has been a very long and cold winter in Colorado. The trees are just starting to bud in the higher elevations so things look barren. To cap things off, campgrounds that we were hoping to stay in will not be open until late May. So we decided to head for warmer climes. We went across Colorado on highway 50 through Salida and Monarch Pass. We stayed the night (with rain) in Montrose, Colorado, and headed for the Moab area today.

The picture today is from a drive that will rank with some of our best scenic experiences. If you get off I-70 near a little crossroads called Cisco, there is link to a scenic highway, 128, that runs along the Colorado River as it makes its way to Moab. We were driving right along the river for 30 miles winding between huge red rock cliffs. The views were spectacular.

Even though most every other place we have visited so far had plenty of campground space, the BLM campgrounds along the river were full. In fact, Moab was bustling like there was some sort of convention going on. It has become the mecca for mountain bikers, with hiking and river rafting thrown in as a bonus. Since tomorrow is Mother's Day, we were expecting few crowds. Apparently a lot of mothers like Moab. (One guide called Moab a mecca for YUMMIES - "Young Urban Macho Men Into Extreme Sports")

Hopefully, the crowds will get lighter as the weekend closes and we can get into some of the more remote campgrounds. We may be out of contact with the internet for a few days.