Travel from Jackson, WY to Moab, UT!!
Moab is one our best loved Jeeping destinations! Despite the incredible heat (reaching 95º by 10 a.m. and 105º by 2 p.m.), the 27% humidity level is a relief from South FL summer weather–no complaints here.
Day 1 Moab Adventure: Travel & Setup
Young son instantly hung up new hammock and settled in with some uke serenading.
And we actually needed some downtime to grocery shop, check emails, pay some bills, do laundry while the kids enjoyed the RV pool . . . not blogworthy, but these things do happen even on a FenFest2015 trip–haha!
Day 2 Moab Adventure: Southeast mountain/plateau trails
Our first day out on the extreme backcountry trails made for a very happy adventure girl!
We’ve used the same Trail Guide since our first visit in 2008. It tells us the mileage, approximate time frame, and level of difficulty. Green=easy, Blue=difficult, Red=dangerous. Our favorites are the Blue trails, however, today was our first time trying Fins ‘N Things (4X4 Jeep Trail). And despite its Blue rating, it had some very Red spots! Spots that required 35″ tires and suggested having a welder and winch handy, just in case!
We weren’t expecting this! The white marks on the slickrock tell a tale of the unprepared Jeepers who have scraped the bottom and backside of their 4-wheeled pride and joy maneuvering this obstacle. Will the combined wits of the Fenlason boys get her down safely?
Notice Jarred is alone in the car . . . just in case it flipped!
Success! And we only scraped the back edge of the hitch extension.
Below is the next major obstacle: The pics don’t do this one justice!
Victory for the three brave Fenlasons who rode it out. Notice the girl in the green shirt at the top of the hill? She declined the rollercoaster experience down the scary drop in the name of video documentation. Smart girl 🙂
The drone view of the desolate plateau captured the little white speck that is is the Jeep.
Quick video compilation shows off the diversity of the terrain. (Credit: Jordan Fenlason)
Chelle with 2 of her favorite boys! 🙂 This one on the right is the MOST favorite!!
Below: Dakota ran through a patch of white-needled cactus plants!
He was whimpering in pain, but calmed right down and stayed perfectly still as Drs. Carlye, Alyssa, and Jordan tediously plucked long and short needles from the tops and bottoms of his paws.
Not an easy task to find white needles amidst white fur, but Dakota was remedied in the end and enjoyed preferential treatment the rest of the day 🙂
And now it’s time for a commercial break from our sponsor:
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Move mouse over this 360º bubbli picture to experience the thrill of riding the ridge of Moab red rocks!
Check out more personal photos on Instagram #Fenfest2015
Day 2 Moab Adventure: Chicken Corners (Blue rating)
This angle was a bit of a balancing trick for the Jeep and for us!
This remote canyon wall presented a surprise photo op. Click to enlarge and see the nimble rock climbers hanging on for dear life! (Well, they DO actually have proper lines and gear :-).)
Below: The Catacombs of Kane Creek Canyon
The climb up to this opening into the cave system cause a gash and bruise to the knee, but it was worth it!
It was so so so hot out there! No one wanted to pose for a picture!!
Honestly, this pic was totally candid after the kids saw Dad setting up the tripod for a family snapshot from inside the catacomb.
But . . . there was the blog to think about 🙂
View from inside the mouth of the cave opening.
Below: On to Chicken Corners where the views are from a scary height!
Why did the chicken cross the road? To mark this awesome trail to the end of the canyon plateau!
It was a bit too windy to feel safe and stable on this little outcropping, but if the tripod could withstand it, so could the Fenlason family!
And across the Colorado River on that far outcrop is “Thelma & Louise Point” where a scene from the movie was actually filmed (anybody actually see that movie?).
Lizard hunting is one of the things this threesome looks forward to in UT where some of the most unique species in the US are found. A little sibling teamwork and a fishing-line snare attached to the end of the GoPro pole cinched the conquest.
This handsome yellow and green spotted fellow is a “collared lizard.” Suggested names range from the Greek word for rock “Petra” to the Indian name “Found-on-Rock.” The name is forthcoming . . . stay logged-in for the exciting reveal!
Eight hours. Red rocks. 4-wheel drive. Moab, UT. Enough said.
Moab Day 3: Fourth of July
Happy Freedom Day! The Aquatic Center downtown Moab declared Free(dom) Day today . . . Hours of high dives, high slides, and warm water soothed away the rough ridin’ tensions from the last two days. Unfortunately, there are no pictures to show for all that fun.
10:00 p.m. city fireworks displayed in the field just behind the RV park. With waffle ice cream cones in hand, we walked over for one of the best displays EVER! Fenlason Family Five thumbs up rating!
Tomorrow may or may not be our last day here. No one really wants to leave this COOL western town!
Stay tuned . . . 🙂