2002 Day 4Return to Main Page
AUGUST 2002
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Leaving Moab on the morning of the 24th, the riders headed south on highway 191 towards their next designated stop at Blanding.  On this day the riders experienced a leisurely day in the saddle.  They visited the Needles Overlook as well as the southern end of Canyonland National Park where The Needles are actually located. 

 

 

 

They also made a stop at Newspaper Rock, which is one of the largest and most accessible petroglyphs in the southern Utah and Four Corners area. 

 

 

 

The riders were unable to travel the planned route due to road maintenance and so they took a break and shard some refreshments. The riders took a break to enjoy some of the more colorful dining cuisine.

 

The area in which The Needles are located seems to be more off the beaten path than the rest of the park that was toured the day before.  The area around Moab has a lot of tourist activity; and though it is hard and wild country, its proximity to the tourist Mecca and all of the people makes it seem more tame and docile than wild and foreboding.

 

But the southern end of the Canyonland area feels more like the area might have felt to the first settlers that roamed into this land. When one looks around at the huge battleship like formations of rock one is reminded of the wildness and the vastness of the area. It is all very breathtaking and makes one feel a sense of being alone and isolated from the rest of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The riders took an alternate route in to Blanding from the Needles that once again took the riders to elevations of 8,500 and higher. The elevation change offered a dramatic temperature change and provided brief respite from the blazing temperatures of the day. It was a spectacular riding highway. Wide roads and winding curves on freshly paved highway made everyone smile.

 

 

The riders made one more stop before heading into Blanding for the night, the Edge of the Cedars State Museum. It houses one of the largest collections of ancient and prehistoric pottery in the United States with thousands of pieces on display as well as other historical shows that travel in and out of the museum. There are ancient dwelling sites on premises and it is an excellent showcase for the history of this area. Many riders skipped the museum and took respite in the cool waters of the hotel pool.

 

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