Spring Adventure Schedule 2010!!

Whew! It's been awhile (again)! We've had a great winter and keep telling ourselves we are going to post up pictures of our Winter '09/'10 adventures. But rather than waiting for summer to freeze over, let's start thinking about the future!

Spring is coming soon! Time to get outdoors! It may not seem like it now, but soon, it will be hot outside. Don't miss out on the mild weather, it won't last long! Here's an FYI about our March outdoors schedule in case any of you want to get away and join us for some cheap adventures over the next several weekends.

WEEKEND OF SAT, 3/13: We are going camping in Arches National Park with the Stitchers. We will be there 2 days/2 nights (Friday night through Sun morning). We are camping at the Devil's Garden campground. We will mostly be going on hikes within Arches National Park (several hiking trails start right at the campground). If you want to come, make your own camping reservation http://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/camping.htm . The Tolman's and the Stitchers are splitting a campsite and will be maxing out the capacity so you will need to reserve your own spot. Warning - it might still be a little cold and a little windy. Note - no 4x4 required, all sites are accessed by paved roads.

WEEKEND OF SAT, 3/20: We are going to do a day trip with Lori's dad and stepmom hiking and auto touring in the San Rafael Swell. Our visit is centered around plans to visit the Black Dragon Wash pictograph panel, so that will be the focus of the itinerary for sure. Other "potential" activities include: Petroglyph Canyon (2 petroglyph panels), Arch Canyon (3 arches), Head of Sinbad pictograph panel, Dutchman Arch, Buckhorn Wash pictograph panel, Matt Warner inscription (part of Butch Cassidy's gang - call it "modern historical" graphitti), Buckhorn Wash dinosaur track, historic Swinging Bridge over the San Rafael River, Wedge Overlook (called Utah's Little Grand Canyon), etc. Note - 4x4 not required, most is accessed by dirt roads maintained for passenger cars, although passenger cars may have to park farther away and hike a little further to some of the sites.

-http://desertwoodrat.wordpress.com/2008/05/18/black-dragon-canyon/
-http://climb-utah.com/SRS/srra.htm
-http://books.google.com/books?id=rP_NCZna6FwC&pg=PA442&lpg=PA442&dq=massey+buckhorn&source=bl&ots=5TOyY2oBMx&sig=GTEHkf3wE61XXNhF7zoryejwfnU&hl=en&ei=jzeNS4qzBpKYtgeF5aHwCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=&f=false
-http://www.singletracktreks.com/buck.htm

WEEKEND OF SAT, 4/3 (Easter Weekend/ Conference Weekend): Easter Jeep Safari! Our annual migration to the mecca of all 4x4 offroading events (an estimated 20,000 people come from all over the world for a 10 day homage to Moab's 4x4 trails). We will head to Moab early Saturday morning (like 3 AM-ish), planning to arrive in time for the Big Saturday Parade at 9 AM (Main Street closed down for a parade of jeeps heading off to many different trail rides). We then head out to watch people with very expensive 4x4 equipment attempt to destroy their rigs on Moab's most extreme obstacles. On Easter Sunday we will go to the early morning Potato Salad Hill garbage cleanup & recycling event, have an Easter egg hunt, do some 4 wheeling, and head home. We will camp on BLM land close to town. Note - a very capable (and preferably "scratchable)" 4x4 vehicle is definitely required to enjoy the fullness of our planned activities, although the parade and some of the extreme 4x4 sites can be accessed via short hikes from paved roads.

Let us know if you want to join us!