Steamboat to Moab

July 26th

We left Steamboat Springs on Thursday morning, heading west on route 40 towards Craig, CO.  This was designated as a scenic drive, and it was beautiful- rolling green hills, dotted with scattered cattle and horse ranches.  The Yampa River followed the route most of the way, so the reason for all the green in the middle of this drought was clear.   As we drove further west, we also crossed the White River.  We had planned to head south at Craig, but noticed route 139, which goes north to south just inside the western border of Colorado, was also a scenic route.  Route 139 was scenic, but much different from Route 40.  There were red buttes and rock outcroppings, scattered oil wells, and draws (dry river beds that flood when it rains.)  We stopped for lunch at a recreation area, taking advantage of several nearby trailheads to take a short walk back into one of the canyons.  Way better than McDonalds!

When we arrived at Moab after a 5 hour drive, we headed to the Visitor Center.  This center provides information on all the local sites, including both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.  We had planned to spend one day in Arches and one in Canyonlands, but she advised us to spend both mornings in Arches and the afternoons in Canyonlands.  Arches is down in the valley, which can become very hot by mid-day.  Canyonlands is 1000 to 2000 feet higher and, therefore, remains cooler later in the day.  We decided that was probably wise.  She also advised us not to hike the trail into Delicate Arch, one of the better known sights in Arches, as it was hot and part of the hike was relatively strenuous.

Oil well pump

View of canyon at rest area

View along CR 139

Another CR 139 view

The Visitor Center holds weekly talks open to the public on different topics of interest.  The talk scheduled for that evening was on light pollution.  It sounded interesting, so Dale and I decided to attend.  Unfortunately, not many others showed up.  The young woman who gave the talk had a background in astronomy.  She previously worked for the Park Service in several locations around the country and gave ranger talks on the night sky.  She currently works for the Department of Natural Resources and helped to start a local chapter of The International Dark-Sky Association.  This group is working to reduce light pollution in order to keep the night sky visible to all, and to prevent some of the recently documented medical issues associated with excessive light.  She indicated that there are many children growing up today that have never seen stars in the night sky due to this problem, and many animals and other natural functions have been negatively impacted by this problem due to changes in circadian rhythm.  The Association works with cities and towns to teach them about safer, less polluting outdoor light fixtures.  Of interest is that these fixtures also save money, as it allows users to use more energy efficient bulbs, as the light is being directed exactly where you need it- not scattered to the sides or up into the atmosphere.  Overall, very interesting and thought-provoking.