I had all but put Moab to bed, kissed it goodnight and turned out the light. Then someone sent me this...
Moab Times-Independent
I'll leave you with one last (I promise) hike-post and editorial from Camp Klondike, one where Pal Chris and I went in search of the elusive "Anniversary Arch."
Chris's GPS showed it was located near the front of the Marching Men, on the west side. We hopped on our mountain bikes and rode to Arches Boundary markers, then stashed them out of sight under a big cedar tree.
Yeah. Anniversary Arch is somewhere over there...
No, that's not it. It's one the ground...near a wash. Like that helps...
Maybe down there...
Or down in that mess. No...
Oh cool. We found some new bobble-heads!
After a couple of hours of aim-ful wandering, Chris's GPS showed he was standing on top of Anniversary Arch...but it was nowhere to be found. Maybe it's closer to the Marching Men... Keep looking!
Not there...not here. How about over "there?"
Nope.
Nope.
Nope.
That has to be it, Chris.
He looks it up again. There's a photo of people standing right next to it. Nope...couldn't be that one.
In an obscure wash, while wandering back to our stashed bikes, we stumbled across these "sharpening" grooves from the Anasazi era.
Not far away we found this...
Chris said it was a "Native American" spiral...their sign for water. It didn't look like a spiral to me...till I realized half of it had broken off and was laying on the ground at my feet. Duh.
Next to the spiral was some cool natural art...
Chris and I struck out on Anniversary Arch. But when I got home, Bobbie found a site on the internet that showed it in a different place altogether. Next time...if there is a "next time." I understand why, but I'm not too keen on being rounded up and forced into "campgrounds" filled with ATV's zooming around...falling asleep and waking up to the racket of generators...kids running around till midnight playing hide and seek...listening to snores from neighboring rigs practically within arms reach.
As my friend, Jim, said..."And another one bites the dust." There are other places that aren't as well known...yet.
But I will sorely miss Klondike for it's exceptional mountain biking trails, as well as all the mind-boggling hiking opportunities... through hoo-doos, beneath towering Bobble-heads, aimless slick rock exploring, and being, for the most part, alone and at one with nature's peace and quiet.
Well that just sucks. Although we never boondocked, I know how many people just love it. It's too bad the few always have to ruin it for the many.
ReplyDeleteBetter get my act together and get over there before I get assigned to site #33B. What motivates me more is that the Anniversary Arch prize is still up for grabs ......
ReplyDeleteIt’s sad about the Klondike camping situation. Seems to be a recurring theme these days. As for the arch, you just can’t always trust the GPS. Finding the the rock art was a nice consolation prize though. Chris
ReplyDeleteMs. O'Keefe is rollin' in her grave in envy of that banner photo. A masterpiece!!!
ReplyDeleteGlad you took us with you while you could.
ReplyDeleteI was reading the environmental impact report, is it already that bad? It claims everyone is already camped on top of each other, plus the usual human waste issues.
ReplyDeleteI don't get it, the area is being trampled by too many people ... yet at the same time the EIR discusses how to provide more grazing for the <800 head of cattle allowed in the area. So much for people, as long as a few cows are happy? Increased vegetation is listed as a good thing for the Kit Fox (more rodents for food), and listed again as good so the cows can eat it. (what happens to the Kit Fox then?)
A good point..."Cattle Rights over campers." We've been going to areas around Moab for almost 40 years. It went from a sleepy little town to "destination recreation," and set into motion a wave of tourists beyond imagination. Closure and control was necessary because people, in some ways, are worse than "cattle." So every time "they" (Moab) build a new trail system that's really cool and fun, they put a nail in the coffin of dispersed camping. I don't know what the answer is beyond some plague that would reduce the number of people on this planet to a sustainable level...about half, I think. Any volunteers????
Deletemark