Here Comes the Sun!

Dear Maia and Isaac,

It was the first real hiking day of 2020 today. Beautiful day – hoodie weather. We started the hike at noon before I got the dogs rounded up and ready to go. Dead Horse Point was our kick-off hike. It seems appropriate because I have been coming here for years. Ever since your mom, Erica and I came on an adventure through Utah when they were little kids.

The Nature Walk at Dead Horse Point Ranger Station.

The rim hike at Dead Horse starts at the Ranger Station and heads out their back door to the tip of the peninsula of land that is the top of the canyon. The river below is the Colorado River that runs through Grand Junction and the Grand Canyon. It starts up near Estes Park.

Sazi, Maizzy, and Kachina stop to rest before we reached the outlook at Dead Horse.

Maizzy can only hike a very short way now, so I started the hike by strapping her into her K-9 Sport Sack backpack. That thing was so hard for me to get on at first – now it is a breeze and I do pretty well packing her for a few miles. She has lost weight, so that helps . . . I guess. She is sick now and I am worried this may be her last trip to Dead Horse.

The view from the rim trail at Dead Horse State Park.

We walked along the edge for 2.5 miles to the overlook. The peninsula of land narrows right before the overlook – there is only a few feet of land on each side. The overlook is the best part. I painted your mom a photo of that spot a few years ago for Christmas. Do you remember?

The overlook at Dead Horse State Park, UT

We walked back on the road because I wanted to get to Canyonlands today, too. I was so hungry after carrying two dogs most of the way! So, I snacked and we headed down the road for 4 miles to Canyonlands.

Sazi, Maizzy, and Kachina posing for their annual Dead Horse State Park picture.

It was starting to turn dusk when we arrived, so I was a little hurried getting the shots at the pull-offs. Fortunately, the dogs where tired and didn’t care much that they couldn’t get out because it is a National Park.

The beginnings of dusk at Canyonlands National Park

The area of Canyonlands we visited is called Island in the Sky. Your mom and Erica were intrigued with that name when we first drove there years ago. It is pretty – you can see forever because you are on an island of land above the canyons.

The overlook at Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park.

Sunset came and the colors were really nice. The deserts get the best sunsets!

The colors come to life at sunset at Canyonlands National Park, UT

Tomorrow, we will do another hike and Arches. Or, if the photo shop has a battery charger for my new camera (I forgot my charger), then we might walk around town first while the battery charges and do Arches in the afternoon. I don’t want to go to Arches with only my cellphone. Time will tell.