How the Germans and Aussies do it!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

How the Germans and Aussies do it!

Arches, canyons, buttes, and POTASH PONDS?

National Parks and Monuments are closed – many thanks to our Federal Government.  But, we are not going to let that stop us from seeing the arches and canyons that are within our reach.  We point the Jeep north toward Moab.  Our mission today is to see Wilson Arch on Highway 191 on the way to Moab, the Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway (east on Highway 128 out of Moab), and the beautiful canyons of Dead Horse Point State Park we’ve heard so much about.

Wilson Arch can be seen from the highway.  We hike up and take in the view from under the arch.

Back on the highway, we drive through Moab and turn east on National Scenic Byway. 

The Colorado River runs adjacent to the byway, and sheer walls of red sandstone rise on either side.

Next stop: Dead Horse Point State Park.

Back to Moab, north on Highway 191, and hang a left on 313 – Dead Horse Point Mesa Scenic Byway.  Before reaching Dead Horse Point, we stop at an overlook and view the Monitor and Merrimac Buttes.  They were named for the Civil War ironclad ships of the same names because of their resemblance to the ships.  The Monitor, the Union Ship on the right, was sent to destroy the Confederate ship, the Merrimac, on the left.  The resulting sea battle changed maritime warfare forever.  Today both ships lie on the sea bottom, but their rock counterparts remain forever in a face off.

Dead Horse Point State Park has stunning views into Canyonlands National Park and the Colorado River 2,000 feet below.  The story behind the name goes like this: In the 1800’s cowboys used the nearly isolated point as a corral to sort horses.  The narrow “neck” leading to the point was only 30 feet wide and acted as the gate to the corral.  Usually, the cowboys released the remaining horses after sorting the ones they wanted.  Unfortunately, on one occasion – for some unknown reason – the horses were left on the point, unable to escape or get to water, and met their death.  Hence, Dead Horse Point. 

It is breathtakingly beautiful, except ….

For the potash ponds viewed from the visitor center.

Please … get a better look.

Is there no other place on Earth to get potash?  It is a disgrace to have allowed a “Salt Deposit Solution Mine” with its “Solar Evaporation Ponds” within view of Dead Horse Point State Park.  Put up a pretty sign on the edge of the canyon and label it “solar” and we’ll all think it’s fine.  Enough said. 

 

How the Germans do it.

We drive through the campground at Dead Horse Point to check it out for future reference.  We come upon this massive truck that looks like a military vehicle.

Behind a partition where the picnic table is sitting I see two sets of big boots and tan pants.  Military men camped here?  What would they be doing here?

My curiosity gets the better of me so I walk toward the feet behind the partition and call out, “Hello.”

A foreign voice calls back, “Hello, come ahead.”

I peek behind the partition to see an elderly couple sitting at their picnic table in their hiking boots and appropriate coordinating attire.

We chat for a few minutes.  They are from Germany.  Then I ask, “What is this?  It looks like a huge military vehicle.”

The German lady softly responds, “Why, it’s a motorhome, dear!”

Astonished at its size, I ask, “How did you get it here?”

“We had it shipped from Europe to Halifax,” she casually comments.

Oh yeah, I’m thinking.  Kind of like shipping a sweater to your nephew in Kansas via UPS, right?  What could it possibly have cost to ship that monster from Europe to Halifax?  I don’t ask.

They give me permission to take a few photos.  They can’t believe I’m so taken by their little motorhome.  The Germans motor around between campgrounds very differently than we do.  This is industrial strength motorhoming.

How the Aussies do it.

We arrive back at Windwhistle late in the day to this interesting configuration sitting across the road from us.

These folks are from Australia.  Their vehicle is a Land Rover with this combination hard-side camper and pop-up/pop-out tent above it.

The bed is more than 6’ above the ground and extends out to one side and serves a secondary purpose as a canopy/awning for protection from the elements below.  This is a totally no-frills utilitarian camping vehicle.  Very good for “bush camping” as they call it in Australia – a.k.a. dry camping, boondocking, dispersed camping, or as Peter the bicyclist calls it “wild camping”.

Check them out online.

We have a nice conversation with them and the lady suggests some canyon overlooks we should see in before leaving the area. 

“Anticline Overlook is down the corrugated road about 8 miles off the tar,” she says.

Corrugated road?  Tar?  Oh yes, the washboard road off the blacktop! 

“Got it,” I reply.

The setting sun: Beautiful to the east and west.

As the sun slowly sets it makes the walls of the canyon to the east shimmer a brilliant gold.

As the canyon walls turn to shadows, we turn to the west and get view this beautiful sunset.

 Again, we have the best campsite in the entire campground.  How do we do it?  Another great day in Utah.  Be safe.  See you next time.