November 6-8 2015 Accommodations for Moab

last month, the lodging of Moab was contacted to share availability for November 6, 7, 8 2015. Some of these may still be available. 

Rooms:

Sorrel River Ranch Resort & Spa

T: 435.259.4642

TF: 877.317.8244

F: 435.259.3016

E: Stay@SorrelRiver.com

HC 64 Box 4002 Highway 128 Mile 17

Moab, UT 84532

www.SorrelRiver.com

Both of the Center Street Suites are still available for that weekend. www.homeaway.com/479168  and www.homeaway.com/479166

Kel Darnell

Center Street Condos

303-619-1954

We still have plenty of rooms.  Please call or book at www.silversageinn.com.

Silver Sage Inn
840 S. Main Street
Moab, UT 84532

Tel: (435) 259-4420
Fax: (435) 259-2347
E-mail: office@silversageinn.com
www.silversageinn.com

We are booked Nov 6, 7. We have 5 rooms available Nov 8.

Cali Cochitta B&B

259-4961

2 room left on Saturday if that helps at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Marriott Moab

1863 N Hwy 191

Moab, Utah  84532

Office:  435.259.5350

Cell:  435.260.1776

Red Cliffs has 11 queen cabins and 5 king cabins.  Rate is $239.95 plus 10.2% tax double occupancy. judy@redcliffslodge.com

We do have  about 25 rooms still available for Nov. 6-8.

Redstone Inn

Moab ,Utah

1-800-772-1972 Or 1-435-259-3500

We have 19 starting at 96.00/nt plus tax.

Hotel Moab Downtown

TEL: (435) 259-7141

FAX: (435) 259-6299

info@hotemoabdowntown.com

www.hotelmoabdowntown.com

We have several rooms available ranging from $150-220 per night plus tax.  Price includes a big homemade breakfast spread.

Innkeeper

Sunflower Hill Inn

Tel. 435-259-2974

Reservations: 800-662-2786

Email: innkeeper@sunflowerhill.com

www.sunflowerhill.com

Quality Suites rooms available for November 6, 7 & 8, 2015 with either one king bed or two queen beds we are all non smoking.
Rate would be $149.00 plus tax —   AAA or AARP rate  $134.10 plus tax.
Quality Suites
800 S Main

The LaunchPad has openings for Novemeber 6,7,8 : 590 North 500 West,Moab, UT  84532, (208) 290-1717

 

Condos:

Puesta del Sol Accommodations, LLC

VRBO #590324, see:  http://www.vrbo.com/590324

VRBO #672209, see:  http://www.vrbo.com/672209

Contact:

Colleen Kennedy

ckennedy@colleenkennedy.com

(435) 260-9473

Accommodations Unlimited has several 2 and 3 bedroom condos available for Nov 6-9.
435-259-6575
https://moabcondorentals.com/

Alex Purvis reports ample availability at Whispering Oaks Ranch

435-259-7666

www.whisperingoakslodging.com

3 bedroom condominium available. With Julianne Tronier.

Taftron, LLC

801.556.9147

www.vrbo.com/183912

Arrival  11/6/15 – Departure 11/8/15      For a party size of 2 adults

Purple Sage  4 ,5 ,2

$133.00/night (plus $39.99 reservation fee, & tax) For a grand total of $347.61

Moab Springs Ranch 19

$226.10/night (plus $39.99 reservation fee, & tax) For a grand total of $559.13

Lizards Lair ~ 3246

$171.00/night (plus $39.99 reservation fee, & tax) For a grand total of $422.32

You can also view a complete listing of our availability at www.moabutahlodging.com.  When you are ready to book you can do so through our secure website, using the following link or by calling us at 800.505.5343.

3 bdrm townhome
Rim Village Vistas 4a3
www.vrbo.com/175802

max 6 guests

No smoking, No pets Dream Home Real Estate Cell # 970-445-8227

Camping:

ACT Campground

435-355-0355

1536 S. Mill Creek Dr.

Moab, UT 84532

ACTCampground.com

Portal RV Resort
435-259-6108
info@portalrvresort.com
We still have a lot of open sites (partial and full hook-ups available)

Pack Creek Campground has availability.

As of right now we are just starting to take reservations for November.  They cannot reserve them online and would have to call us or email us for a site reservation. Thank you. Slickrock Campground  435-259-7660  or reservations.slickrock@gmail.com

OKRV Park and Canyonlands Stables $35 a night

3310 Spanish Valley Dr.

Moab, UT 84532

435.259-1400

office@okarpark.com

www.okrvpark.com

fax 435.259-0144

November 6, 7, 8 Availability – We have lots of cabins in several price ranges available still. We have almost all of our RV sites and all of our tent sites available still. Thanks.

Reed Pendleton

Moab Rim Campark

1900 South Highway 191

Moab, Utah 84532

435-259-5002

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Historic Motifs Depicted Over a Thousand Years in and around Moab Utah

Rock art sites are difficult to date. Clues are found in the subject matter on the panel, a rock wall or boulder. As days warm up in the desert, visiting rock art is a region specific point of interest requiring little demand physically to access.

Depictions of mastodon hints of a Pleistocene era, scenes involving horses necessarily occurred after 1540 A.D., at a time when Spaniards introduced horses to the New World and so on.

Two types of rock art can be found: petroglyphs and pictographs. Petroglyphs are scratched – pecked into rock surfaces. Pictographs are painted drawings. Please bring a camera or sketchbook to record these protected public treasures. Rubbings are forbidden. Touching art is forbidden, skin oil is transferred then damages the panel.

A simple pamphlet is available from the Moab Information Center providing detailed directions to sites. Or find the electronic brochure on www. Discovermoab.com. The Moab Information Center also has books that introduce readers to a plausible lifestyle of the cultures which left the motifs.

Local Moab tour companies have trips which may include stops at a rock art site, however, when it comes to definitive interpretation, even the archaeologists and historians only speculate.

The Antiquities Act of 1906 was the first law to recognize the importance of Archeological Sites. It prevented the removal of artifacts. It allowed the President to set aside federal lands as “National Monuments’. The Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 details prohibited activities and increased the financial and incarceration penalties. Selling, buying, transporting artifacts is unlawful. Defacing, damaging, removing items from federal sites is unlawful. Around Moab, hundreds of thousands of acres fall into the federal land category. By 1998 the ARPA was amended to establish programs to increase public awareness by land managers to protect resources.

In 2016, you are needed to help spread the word of protection of the precious places.

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The View from the Front Seat

Mountain ranges, uncluttered landscapes, high canyon walls, peculiar rock formations, an occasional stream, flitting wildlife and a seemingly unending road, it is summer, let’s start a road trip. America has over 164,000 miles of Highways. There are around 800 distinct and diverse roads designated to be an American Byway by fulfilling one of six intrinsic qualities.  Which quality lures you? Scenery, History, Culture, Archeology, Recreation or Natural undisturbed features are mapped in corridors for the enjoyment of travelers.

In America’s southwest many a pilgrim will vie for an itinerary known as the Grand Circle. Often stemming from Las Vegas, Salt Lake City or Denver, the route is powerful. The Grand Circle regularly includes, but is not exclusive to Monument Valley, Four Corners Monument, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce and Zion National Parks. Across the nation, the Utah Office of Tourism has had Mighty 5 commercials playing on television influencing many to plan to see southern Utah’s magnificent 5: Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. There are eight National Scenic Byways in Utah and twenty one Utah Scenic Byways all told.

Interestingly, two National Parks and three scenic byways, as well as portions of the Dinosaur Diamond national Prehistoric Byway, are found in southeastern Utah near Moab. Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are visually exhilarating. Besides, the fact visitors get TWO national parks from one town stay is clearly a good value.  The parks are diverse and center stage. Beyond the parks are features of chasms, crags, and dunes, with the bluest clear skies or distinct clouds set on azure or dramatically changing clouds floating low on cliff walls, peaks, and sculpted sandstone. Eyes watch for the local flora and fauna dispersed along every passage.

Moab has been the setting for movies since 1949 because these iconic landscapes are an amazing backdrop to tell a story. Travelers can download an Auto Tour Movie Locations pamphlet to connect the sights to movies with a sequence filmed in the area. Another pamphlet to download from DiscoverMoab.com/brochures.htm is the Self-Guided Auto Tours. Both of these pamphlets are handed out free by the good folks at the Moab Information Center in downtown Moab.

The National Park Service will be celebrating its 100^th Anniversary in 2016. There promises to be additional park programs across America to celebrate. An initiative to get in Free of Charge for 4^th graders and their families into our country’s NPS treasures is a targeted opportunity to get more Americans exploring OutDoors, although the kids will be getting a view from the back seat.

Research more details using http://grandcircle.org/, http://www.visitutah.com/places-to-go/most-visited-parks/the-mighty-5, and, of course, www.DiscoverMoab.com; 435-259-8825.

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Great Mountain Bikers Bringing Beginners to Moab

Whether traveling with a significant other or the kids here are a few tips to help plan a remarkable trip for beginners. This trip is not about biking with the experienced buddies, so slow it down. Spend some time at home before your trip on skills.  Then plan your trip to do some beginner trails together and include other activities for the beginners to enjoy, while the advanced bicyclists takes that time to ride a tougher trail.

Prior to the trip some skills to work on to avoid a tender bottom while on vacation and to understand the bicycle features and your limits are:  put some time on the saddle, get everyone familiar with how the shifters work, ride around some obstacles, cones or cone pairs, and be aerobically strong.  Knowing what kind of shifters your bike will have, whether your own bike or one you will rent in Moab is very helpful.   

A Good Place to Start

Trails:

• Chilkoot Pass
• Agate West

Chilkoot Pass and Agate West are accessed on the north end of the Klondike Bluff Area. Spend some time stooping over the ground looking at the pretty rocks along the Agate trail. Bring along the book, Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor. Read it after dinner. Have yarn or string and wire tucked away to make a necklace out of a rock that was sure to be pocketed from the Agate Trail. From this same Klondike parking lot, there is a hike to the Dinosaur Stomping Grounds. This pedestrian trail parallels the Mega Steps bike trail. Could be an opportunity to pedal a difficult bike trail, if your companion is willing to explore solo or there is a second adult to supervise the kids on the walk.

Trails:

• Rusty Spur
• Bar M

In the BRANDS trail system, the Rusty Spur has a climb at the south most point at the switchback. Often beginners will push up this slope. This trail is short and sweet. Most of the riding is on the paved pathway. If a shuttle can be arranged to be dropped at the Brands and bike back toward town. Gauge how far is appropriate for the youth. There is a trail head to pictographs just south of the Arches National Park entrance. Park there or across the Colorado River at the intersection with Hwy 128 at the Transit Hub parking lot. Possibly plan to stop at Arches, if the road is clear cross Hwy 191 to play on the sand hill. Be sure children can grasp hand brakes for this LONG downhill. Rest frequently, little hands will tire out.

The Bar M, counter clockwise is a wide trail, some riders have difficulty with narrower singletrack like the Lazy and EZ sections. There is a cut off on a 4WD road back to the parking lot.  The north end of Bar M has a steep hill and a sandy patch.  Sometimes pushing a bike through these tears down confidence.

Trails:

• Zephr
• Gypsy
• Magician

Use the Midway parking lot for the KlonZo mountain bike trail system. The Midway will have to be used to get out to the Zephr, Gypsy and Magician pool.  The Carousel might be worth a try too. Exit to navigate to the junction of Roller Coaster and Midway to split for the return to the parking lot. Better riders can get in this challenging section since the beginner rider has already ridden Midway in and knows what to expect.

If all of the above trails worked out in the Klondikes and Brands, while in KlonZo , the Hotdog and the Edge could be the next level to tackle and enjoy.

Continue on the Willow Springs Road to enter Arches National Park near Balanced Rock. Look for a stop to see dinosaur tracks along the way. There will be a low informational sign off along the side to the south of the road. Just before reaching the Arches pavement a cluster of picnic tables are available for a snack or meal break.

The Moab Trail Mix has added two mountain bike loops around the Bureau of Land Management Horsethief Campground. These are first-come-first-served-$15-a-night primitive campsites off of Hwy 313. New in 2015! The Rowdy Trail is a low intermediate one and the Wrangler is for beginners. It might prove purposeful to walk along with your bicycling counterpart to provide pointers and support. The Chisholm Trail is a connector to the Magnificent 7 in Gemini Bridges should your situation be such to take a twirl from camp. OR…

It might be worthwhile to arrange to have accommodations with a hot tub to counter tired muscles for beginner adults. Kids always love water. A pool will cool them off after exercising biking. During the evening, take a restful car jaunt out to see Rock Art or if adults, live music at one of the night spots.

Set up a river rafting trip for the beginners. It includes lunch. Many of the companies provide complimentary hotel pick up from downtown locations. It will allow a whole day for the advance mountain biker to blast onto the trails requiring greater skills and strength. Do it right and your significant other or kids will be begging you to return.

For more detailed information visit our website at www.discovermoab.com or call us at 1-800-635-6622.

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Travel Tips for Arches National Park in 2015

Arches National Park News Moab Utah USA

Visitation grows in Arches National Park. Here are some useful tips to circumvent peak uses of The Windows Section, Devil’s Garden, and the trail head parking lot for hiking to the iconic Delicate Arch.

Planning Your Trip
•Park is open 24/7. Use Sunrise/Sunset table to plan visits outside of 10 am to 4 pm peak hours.
•Early morning (sunrise) is always less busy than sunset. To beat the crowds, try entering the park before 8 a.m., though you may encounter groups of early-morning photographers at some destinations.
•Avoid visiting on BUSY Holidays/Weekends.
•Parking for oversize vehicles (RVs, trailers) is extremely limited. Leave oversized vehicles in town, or in the visitor center parking lot. Rent a car.
•Carpool if you can.
•Consider joining a tour for an Arches Park visit.
Fiery Furnace and Arches Group Vehicle Trips

Where (and how) to Park
•Park in designated areas only.
•Abstain from parking on vegetation
•Park to keep traffic flow clear
•Refrain from blocking traffic waiting to park

BUSY Holidays/Weekends

1.Easter week
(March 27-April 5 2015)
2.Memorial Day
(May 23-25 2015)
3.Labor Day
(September 4-7 2015)
4.Utah Education Assoc.
(October 15-18 2015)

Arches Park Tours

Adrift Adventures
Moab Adventure Center 
Navtec Expeditions
Red River Adventures
Tag-A-Long Expeditions
Windgate Adventures 

Fiery Furnace tours and Sightseeing Drives

National Park Fee Free
Arches and Canyonlands are free to enter on the following dates.
February 14-16
Presidents Day weekend
April 18-19
National Park Week intro
August 25
NPS Birthday
September 26
National Public Lands Day
November 11
Veterans Day

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3rd Annual Ride — Saturday April 18th, 2015 9:00 A.M. — Moab, Utah

Utah Police Officers’ Association Annual ATV/UTV Event in Moab Utah

3rd Annual Ride — Saturday April 18th, 2015 9:00 A.M. — Moab, Utah

On April 20th, 2013 the Utah Peace Officers Association unveiled “The Fallen Peace Officer Trail” just north of Moab, Utah. We invite everyone to bring your off-highway vehicle to the event. Fallen Officers’ names will be posted along this trail.

• The fallen officer trail ride is open to the public, so bring the entire family.
• Proceeds fund scholarships for the families of the fallen officers
• Book early to guarantee ride time
• Book early to guarantee room or RV accommodations

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Training, Courses, Continuing Education, Retreats, University Activities Held in Moab

Training, Courses, Continuing Education, Retreats, and University activities held in Moab for 2015 are listed here.

Medical Training and Conintuing Education Courses Held in Moab

February 25 – 27 2015
Recertification for Wilderness Medical credentials
at la Quinta

March 22 – 28 2015
Rocky Mountain Ortho-Bionomy
At Red Cliffs Lodge
http://www.c-ortho-bionomy.com/classes/ Cynthia Wood
March 26 2015 Asbestos Contractor/Supervisor Refresher
March 27 2015 Asbestos Inspector/Management Planner Refresher

April 18-20 2015
Recertificiation for Wilderness Medical Credentials
At Moab Arts and Recreation Center

May 13-16 2015
Wilderness Medicine Certification for Medical Professionals
At MOAB Valley Inn

University Activity in Moab

March 6-8 2015
Rock Climbing Academic noncredit UofU

April 3-5 2015
Rock Climbing Academic noncredit UofU

April 5 – 11 2015
Alternative Spring Break
Environmental Stewardship and Conservation: Moab Utah

Utah State University Campus in Moab Utah
Application Deadlines are
April 1 2015 for Summer Session
Summer Session lasts from May 11 – August 14 2015
April 1 2015 for Fall Session
Fall Session lasts from August 31 – December 11 2015
Retreats

April 3-5 2015
Adventure Rabbi
At Gold Bar Campground

April 16-19 2015
Yoga Retreat

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Fairfield Inn of Moab to Open

Located on the banks of the Colorado River, 1863 North Highway 191, Moab UT.

Many Amenities: Gas Fire Pit, Bike Storage, Business Center, Breakfast, Store, Meeting Room.

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Canyonlands National Park

I just like this journey, the images, the words that put images in my mind’s eye…

Just Busy Being

This year, I really wanted to go to New York City for my birthday. Eric really wanted to go to Washington State.  We went to Canyonlands National Park.  There is no explanation for why things like this happen.

Canyonlands is approximately 5 hours southwest of Denver, depending on where you enter.  We entered through Green River, UT spending the night in preparation for a full day of challenging four-wheel driving.  Once inside the park, it took about 4 hours to travel a distance of 40 miles before we reached our destination, The Maze.

 It’s actually far more incredible than the photo indicates.  It’s difficult capturing landscapes with lens limitations. Luckily, I suffer from comprehensive four-wheel driving terror and really worry about tumbling down a sharp cliff and dying. It’s usually best if I walk the terrain that looks deadly which provides many opportunities for macro photography.

Camping in The Maze requires some…

View original post 79 more words

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Dinosaurs of Moab for National Fossil Day

Utah from the NPS list for National Fossil Day events

BLM Canyon Country District/Utah Friends of Paleontology/Moab Information Center/Canyonlands Natural History Association/Museum of Moab

Monthly Public Lectures (free):
September 24, 2014 – ReBecca Hunt-Foster, BLM District Paleontologist for Canyon Country, will present “The Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite” about the new tracksite found north of Moab and the plans to build a publicly interpreted trail at this site. This presentation will be held at 6:00 PM at Zions Bank, (330 South Main, Moab, Utah), in the Downstairs Conference Room. This talk is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact ReBecca Hunt-Foster at rhuntfoster@blm.gov or at 435-259-2179.
October 9, 2014 – ReBecca Hunt-Foster, BLM District Paleontologist for Canyon Country, will present “Walking in their Footsteps: Fossil Tracks of Grand County” about the abundance of fossilized tracks known from the Moab area on public lands. This presentation will be held at the Moab Information Center at the corner of Center and Main, in Moab, Utah, at 6:00 PM. This talk is free and open to the public.
October 29, 2014 – Rob Gaston, owner of Gaston design will present a talk about his discovery in the 1990’s of the very first Utahraptor and Gastonia. This presentation will be held at 6:00 PM at Zions Bank, (330 South Main, Moab, Utah), in the Downstairs Conference Room. This talk is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact ReBecca Hunt-Foster at rhuntfoster@blm.gov or at 435-259-2179.

BLM Canyon Country District/Utah Friends of Paleontology/Moab Information Center/Canyonlands Natural History Association/Museum of Moab
National Fossil Day Activities:
Moab Megatracksite Hiking Trail Building
Date & time:September 20, 2014, 8:30
Location: Meet at the new Transit Hub parking lot at the Jct of Hwy 191 and 128, then we’ll drive north of the Airport, and north of the Cell tower. We’ll turn off at M.P. 148.5 then keep right to reach the Mega Steps Mt. Bike Trailhead. The drive is about 30-40 mins.from town.
Bring: Work Gloves, plenty of water and lunch.
Trail building in this case involves some pruning, and a little dirt work , but mostly we need many hands to help mark the trail by building rock cairns and to place rock lining to identify the trail on the slickrock sections. A few people will carry in posts or signs to mark trail junctions. Rock lining or cairn building involves finding football size rocks. Lots of walking back and forth. If you reach the top of the trail it is about 2 miles. The Dinosaur tracks are near the top….maybe at 1.5 miles. Come for any length of time. Contact: Sandy Freethey – Trail Mix 259-0253 or 260-2586.

Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite Trail Building (Phase 1B)
Dates: September 22-26, 2014
Interested members of the public are invited to join the BLM, the Utah Friends of Paleontology, the Utah Conservation Corps, and Trail Mix as we work together to build a new trail to a 120 million year dinosaur tracksite, north of Moab, Utah. Paleontologists and volunteers will be onsite to build the 0.25 miles trail. During the work, participants will learn how paleontologists differentiate between tracks and the dinosaurs that made them, as well as the importance of protecting fossil track sites. Those interested in volunteering should contact the BLM-Utah Canyon Country District paleontologist ReBecca Hunt-Foster at the BLM-Utah Moab Field Office at rhuntfoster@blm.gov or at 435-259-2179.
Extreme temperatures! – bring water and sunscreen. Although the hike to the site is relatively short, working in the sun and heat may not be enjoyable or advisable for everyone. The hike is very short, and your volunteer hours can vary in duration, participants should be aware of their own skill level and health, and proceed accordingly.

Willow Springs Dinosaur Tracksite stabilization:
Date & time September 27, 2014 8:30 AM
Location: Meet at the new Transit Hub parking lot at the Jct of Hwy 191 and 128, then we’ll drive 30-40 minutes to the site. From Moab, we’ll go north on US Highway 191 for 12 miles. If coming from Crescent Jct. (I-70), go south on US Highway 191 for 18.7 miles. The track site is 3.4 miles off of Highway 191, on the Willow Springs Road. (Turn right onto the Willow Springs Road, off US Highway 191. 1.4 miles – take the left fork to Willow Springs. 1.7 miles – stay right on the main road and continue straight towards the Klonzo Trailes area. 2.9 miles – stay right. 3.4 miles – arrive at tracksite).
Bring: Work Gloves, plenty of water and lunch THE WORK:
This tracksite was originally being driven on in the 1980s by vehicles before the site was recognized, and the road rerouted. Since this time the tracks have become a popular destination. The tracks are preserved in the Jurassic Entrada Sandstone that is immediately overlain by the Summerville Formation. The red mudstones of the Summerville have been eroding down onto the track surface during rain events, covering several of the tracks. We would like to build a berm and drainage area to help move the water away from the tracksite and reduce the amount of sediment that covers the tracks. This project will be easily completed within a day. A short interpretive talk will be given to participants during stabilization to help further foster an importance for the work and for our Nation’s fossil resources. Activities will be on hand to help children and other participants understand how dinosaur tracks are made, preserved, and exposed. Participants will have an opportunity to conduct real science on the track sites, such as measuring the tracks to figure out how large the animal was and how quickly it was moving; test to discover which types of dinosaurs made the tracks we will observe; and searching for and identifying modern tracks made by living organisms. Those interested in volunteering should contact the BLM-Utah Canyon Country District paleontologist ReBecca Hunt-Foster at the BLM-Utah Moab Field Office at rhuntfoster@blm.gov or at 435-259-2179. Come for any length of time. Volunteer hours can vary in duration, participants should be aware of their own skill level and health, and proceed accordingly.

Dinosaur Fest 2014 – October 10, 2014
The Museum of Moab, Canyonlands Natural History Association and the Canyon Country BLM Field Office are hosting the first Dinosaur Fest. This free event will be held on the lawns of the Museum of Moab and the Moab Information Center, with activities, games and hands on activities available for participants of all ages. Events start at 5PM with the public invited to a free screening of the movie “Walking with Dinosaurs” at the Moab Information Center at the corner of Center and Main, in Moab, Utah, at 7:00 PM. This movie is free and open to the public. A short paleontology question and answer session will be held after the movie, hosted by paleontologist Dr. John Foster of the Museum of Moab, and ReBecca Hunt-Foster, BLM District Paleontologist for Canyon Country.

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