Over the course of the last few months, we've not managed to stray very far afield. For a variety of reasons we've
only gotten in the Big Truck a couple of times..and both times we were asking ourselves why we weren't back on the road. We will be, soon enough.
In the meanwhile, we've been having a blast exploring this area. We are a mere 17 miles from the Utah state line, which opens up a lot of territory for exploring. Our friends who have been in Western Colorado for years have given us a huge list of places to investigate. When we get the chance, we throw some gear into the Little Truck and do day trips. We recently spent a day looking for petroglyphs. Most were in locations we have driven (or ridden our bikes) by, in some cases many dozens of times. Did you know there is a large panel overlooking the bridge into Moab (from the north?) Unless you know exactly where to look, you'd never see it. And there is a lot of art you can't see until you are right on top of it.
Another amazing panel (a couple of them actually) can be found a few miles north of I-70. A sidelight is a deserted diner that was apparently used in the filing of Thelma and Louise.
One can spend a bit of time with a map and see there are wilderness areas and BLM land all over the place. Some random exploring has lead us to a few ruins, many petroglyphs and other signs of the civilization that existed here long ago. It's pretty cool to have so much nearby.
We did have a slight setback when some bozo backed into the FJ in a parking lot. Despite a witness seeing the entire event and getting the plate number, the guy lied to the police and claimed he didn't hit anyone. Sigh. At any rate, my awesome insurance company set us up with a rental car. However said rental car is not exactly expedition-equipped. With fractional ground clearance, 2WD and skinny low-profile tires our exploration after Thanksgiving was somewhat limited. Happily, we'll get the FJ back tomorrow and be able to wander further afield this coming weekend. As it was, we found ourselves on a marginally maintained road an hour from pavement, with no cell service. I realized how much stuff I take for granted with our vehicles, with skid plates, full tool kits, high lift jacks, HAM radios, and other means of staying out of trouble.
It would have been a long long walk to get help...
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