May 9th
Drive to Sunset Crater National Monument. Camp Bonito Campground.
May 10th
Woke up to hail on my tent. What a good way to start out the trip. Headed to the Grand Canyon. I presented my poster about caves in the Redwall Formation. The viewpoint we saw the Grand Canyon was Yaqui Point and Desert Watchtower on the East Rim Drive. Then we headed on over to Page Arizona to look at Echo Cliffs, Horseshoe Bend and Glen Canyon overlook, Then on the way out we saw the Glen Canyon Dam Drove through Springville Utah and camped on BLM land south of Zion NP.
May 11th
Had a crazy morning trying to pack camp up in the rain. Head to Zion National Park. When we arrived at the Visitor Center the canyon was cloudy. So we went up to the lodge to hang out and it snowed for several hours. So instead of hiking Angles landing we ate a nice buffet breakfast at the lodge. At noon it cleared up so I when around taking some awesome photos. Then we drove to Mt Carmel Jct for Jurassic marine rocks and fossil hunting. Drove to Bryce Canyon NP in the late afternoon and it snowed again. Camped at a Forest Service CG 45 degrees that night.
May 12th
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Henrieville Canyon for Upper Cretaceous rocks. Ate lunch overlooking Circle Cliffs. Drive Burr Trail through Circle Cliffs uplift. Hike to the Slot Canyon overlook and Henry Mountains basin in Capitol Reef NP a classic monocline. One of the best places I have been to. Then it hailed on us bad so we left. We got the van stuck in the mud but got out. Was going to camp at Starr Spring, south flank of Mt. Hillers. But we drove to a place that was dry. Camped at the north end of Powell Lake.
May 13th
Woke up and the ground was dry had a awesome morning. We drove to overlook for history of Lake Powell. North Wash for Jurassic ergs and fluvial systems and saw some ancient oil beds. Then went to Goblin Valley State Park had an awesome hike around there. A highly recommend place to go. Then went and camped on the Colorado River Lower Onion Creek. Then we and saw the great Onion Creek diapir. Had a great night listening to the river run.
May 14th
Drove to Arches National Park which was over ran by the Miata car club. Toke a hike to Delicate Arch. Went to the Green River overlook, and hike up to Upheaval Dome in Canyonlands NP which is a proposed meteor impact site. Did some food shopping in Moab. Head south to camp at Wind Whistle Campground for 2 nights. Was invited to have a fire with some History majors form Goshen Indiana (a Mennonite College).
May 15th
Woke up early to get to Canyonlands NP. Went to the Newspaper Rock to look at some Indian paintings. Had a big hike in the Needles district of Canyonlands NP. Hike up to the Druid Arch which was better than Delicate Arch in my opinion. Drove back to Camp Wind Whistle Campground for the second night. Listened to Lawton and some boys play the guitar and watch the fire. Had a great day I want to go back to Canyonlands.
May 16th
Drove and looked at the Comb Ridge Monocline and evaporite facies of Cedar Mesa. Headed to Natural Bridges National Monument. Hiked to three of the Bridges but I did not make the last one because my blister was hurting me bad. We camped at Muley Point on crest of Monument upwarp. This was overlooking the Goosenecks of San Juan River. Saw the Space shuttle Atlantis fly to earth. One of the best camped of the whole trip. I sleep under the star that night
May 17th
Woke up had to poster presations and headed home. Stopped in Cuba, NM and had lunch. Was back in Las Cruces by 5:30.
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