Today I made my way from Boulder to Moab making a stop at Dead Horst Point Park. I wasn’t ready for the amazing views. Something I truly did not expect.
I brought some lunch and found a warm spot to enjoy the views and my lunch
After spending some time in the park I headed to my tent for the night. With temperatures getting close to freezing I hope I do ok!
This morning I drug Richard out to the park for a walk. We got about 7 miles in and didn’t run into any animals.
This morning I decided to start my hiking training by heading up to Wekiwa Springs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wekiwa_Springs_State_Park). The park opened at 8 so I was there a few minutes early only to see a cue of cars waiting to get in, so I was about the 10th car into the park when they opened. The initial plan was to hike 5.3 miles along the Volksmarch Trail (orange line)… at least that was the plan. I ended up on the main hiking trail, which is 13.5 miles (white lines). The good thing is I had plenty of food and water, so as long as my legs held up I would be ok.
The trails were empty, I saw 2 groups of women hiking and that was in the first 2-3 miles, then I appeared to be on my own… which should have been a sign! I keep following the signs waiting for the trail to split but I just never saw the split. Finally I ran into another lady who was looking to turn around or something, it was then I realized I was on the white trail an had been for probably an hour. I had a choice to make at this point turn around or keep going? The trail ha been more like a walk in the park than a tough trail and I had plenty of food and water so I decided to push on.
It was quiet for awhile and I decided I needed to save the battery on my phone as I was going to be out for longer than I planned. Eventually I met a guy hiking that looked like he know what he was doing, so I at least knew I was on the right path. The funny thing was he told me “good luck” now I didn’t know if it was because I clearly looked like a beginner despite all my new gear? Well about 20 minutes later I figured out why he said good luck…
I would say the next few hours I was hiking through a swamp. It was full of bugs and who knows what else… my shoes were waterproof but not above my ankles and I wanted to keep my feet dry. There were several placed that I really wanted to quit, but I didn’t have that option so I kept moving (really wishing I had some bug spray on).
Eventually I made it to camp cozy and finally took a break for some lunch. For lunch I had small piece of cheese, smoked salmon and some cauliflower crisps. I brought these date bites, but they didn’t fair well in my backpack.
After lunch it was back on the trail (no other option) and I could tell I was getting tired as I missed the trail once and I started to get a bit grumpy! Eventually I made it back (5 1/2 – 6 hours later) and went over to the springs to dip my tired feet and boy did it feel nice!
It was a really nice way to spend a Sunday morning despite the issues! Now it is time to rest my feet and take a nap!
Lessons Learned:
Today was another active day as we headed out to hike up Blackcomb mountain and across to Whistler mountain. After taking the gondola ride part way up, temperatures up the mountain were a very brisk 7C. We had a good hike across the mountain to a lake where we paused for tea before continuing on and taking the Peak to Peak gondola across to Whistler mountain where we stopped for lunch. Although the sun sometimes made it through the cloud it was largely a cold day. Nick and I continued on up to the peak of Whistler mountain and took a walk on the suspension bridge up there. The views all around were just stunning. We ended the day by going to see the weekly live concert in the park in downtown – the band had a lot of people up in front of the stage dancing away despite the cold temperatures as the sun disappeared behind the mountains for the night.
Situated in the Indian Wilderness of Colorado’s Front Range, Mount Audubon takes its place about one mile east of the Continental Divide and the resulting chain of rugged peaks that define the local geography. Unlike some of its neighbors, Mount Audubon (13,223 ft/4030 m) is a gentle mountain that is best characterized by broad ridges and large expanses of tundra. Stunning views of the other peaks in the area can be had from the summit.
Royal Arch is one of the more popular destinations from the Chataqua Trailhead. It is a relatively short hike at 1.5 miles each way, but they are pretty steep miles!
For more photos from Havasu Falls click the link below.
http://www.melisajohnson.com/arizona.html
The web site it still a work in progress… but I did get the Havasu Falls photos up.
The Johnsons 