May this not discourage anybody from visiting Moab this weekend, but…

We’re being loved to death. It started two years ago, after the Moab Area Travel Council launched a nationwide advertising strategy to increase tourism in the canyon country. It worked. Well, I agree we’re living in a very picturesque and unique place, and visual advertising is especially effective in this area. I’ve been selling web pages to businesses here for 21 years so it’s no secret that pictures sell. But it’s worked too well. Time to back off.

Two years ago, that memorable and fateful Memorial Day weekend caused the Utah Highway Patrol to close the entrance to Arches National Park because the lines of cars were a traffic hazard. The latest newspaper quotes the UHP to expect 45 minutes to cross town – about three miles. [click here for story].

Well, apparently the Travel Council is still pumping 2.7 million dollars a year into ads. Apparently we don;’t have enough traffic yet. Is it time to back off? Or does the adventure-thirsty public entitled to their day in traffic?

It’s ironic that all those people want one thing. A little solitude in the backscape so close yet so far away.

PS: As I write this, a semi truck drives down our obvious residential street. Not appropriate! This is the first and definitely not the last I’ve seen in this neighborhood.

Starting later this month, the State of Utah will be tearing up the road into Moab and some of the businesses in the way. Here’s some quick info on how it’s going to go down.

PROJECT UPDATE
The contractor is planning to begin work for this project on March 23rd. You may see electronic message signs placed along the highway as soon as March 16th.
Starting March 23rd, construction vehicles and equipment may begin moving into the project area. On this date a twelve foot lane width restriction will begin for this project.
The contractor may be doing some work along the road shoulder but we do not anticipate any impacts to traffic for the week of March 23rd.
The public information team will send out an update with additional information as it becomes available.
Following the March 23rd construction start, a weekly update will be published to update subscribers with information about the project and it’s anticipated impacts for the coming week.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
This U.S. 191 road widening and Storm Drain project extends from 400 North to the Colorado River Bridge. It will reconstruct the existing roadway to accommodate five lanes of traffic, two thru lanes in each direction with a two way left turn lane and 6-foot shoulders. For most of the project there will be a center turn lane. Where we cannot provide a center turn lane, there will be two lanes in each direction with a painted double yellow line separating traffic.
The project will also add curb, gutter, and sidewalk on the west side of US-191 from Motel 6 to the Colorado Bridge. In addition, UDOT has partnered with Moab City to construct a Storm Drainage System to address storm water from rain events starting at the Stewart Canyon area, above Cermak Drive. The system will collect storm water from Stewart Canyon, US-191 and adjacent properties, depositing the water in a collection pond west of the intersection at 500 West and US-191.

Base Map for Flyer

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Please contact us for questions or comments:
Hotline: 1-800-948-8286
E-mail: shenriksen@utah.gov
Website: udot.utah.gov/go/moabnorthmain

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How about THAT?

Not trying to scare you, but Moab’s traffic has become SIGNIFICANT! Here’s a peek…

The webcams below provide views from either end of the Arches National Park entrance road. Traffic may back up between the entrance station and US 191. You may experience delays during the busy season between March and October and on holiday weekends.

Here it is the day before Easter Jeep Safari (Resurrection Sunday Jeep Safari??) starts and it’s beautiful and clear. Normally we start getting foul weather like rain or even snow. This pic was taken on the Moab Chamber’s annual business ride. We bring out folks on a half day jeep ride to show them how a mass-ride can be safe, controlled and considerate. Even though the sanctioned runs can be polite and safe, there are many other jeepers who just show up, then get confused with the EJS participants who bought and paid for competent leadership and guidance. We’e hoping that the townspeople won’t get renegades confused with members in good standing of Red Rock Four Wheelers.

Just as it seems my iPhone is the best camera I’ve got, the major limitation is that it’s all wide-angle. Yes, it has image stabilization and anti-barrel-distortion, But I missed a good long telephoto lens which is as necessary as a polarizer in desert country. To scratch that itch, I procured a so-called Supertelephoto camera that are so trendy lately, a Nikon P520. I purposely got a fairly cheap camera so as not to be worried if I throw it in my backpack and have a mountain bike event! It takes good pictures but not great. Next time I will choose better. For a $100 more I could have gotten a Panasonic Lumix with a Leica lens. Caveat emptor =:->

It’s early in the morning. It’s nippy; almost cool. A month ago you HAD to start biking this early and get back by noon. Otherwise you ran the risk of heat exhaustion or something worse. Running out of water, anyway.

The smoke is nearly gone. I just returned from California and let me tell you, it was smoky! Nevada is even worse. Smoke stays there like an inversion (at least the northern part of Nevada).

So, it’s safe to hike, bike and four-wheel around here now. Take a deep breath!

This image may come in handy for you future visitors to Arches National Park this season. It depicts the scene across the highway from the entrance. When the line gets too long, the highway department closes the park! Check here to see if that will be a problem when you are entering.

We are lucky to have Frank Angeles to speak here in Moab. He’s making a special trip from Littleton, not just stopping over. His message is one of coping and healing from a monstrous act of insanity. My imagination is grossed out quickly even thinking about it. Plan to be here if you want inspiring insight to strength and bravery.

I was browsing all the reviews of Moab river rafters recently doing some statistics for one of my clients, and noticed how many reviews our rafting companies have (thousands) and the high ratings they get. That prompted me to look around the globe for other hot areas. Not many other locales get this much action.

Does anyone out there know if there’s a page I can find out the volume of rafting activity? That would be interesting!

Or at least prettier than usual. Folks who have been to Utah feel the sky is deeper blue than many other places. However, this time of year brings stupendous cloud formations and double rainbows. Here’s a shot from yesterday in downtown Moab.

I decided to hang out at the Arches National Park visitor center during the eclipse. I figured correctly that they would have interpretive rangers to answer questions, nifty equipment, and exotic tourists to muse. This gizmo projects the sun on the inside of a box for a whole group to see. ↓

Moab was in the 80% zone and didn’t have real dramatic effects. The daylight went fuzzy, slightly yellow and hazy. That was about it.

• Delicate Arch road closed due to flooding.

  Alert 1 , Severity ,closure ,,Delicate Arch road closed due to flooding.Due to flooding overnight July 12-13, the entire Delicate Arch road is closed. This includes the trailhead at Wolfe Ranch as well as Delicate Arch Viewpoint.

• Garden of Eden and Panorama Point closed to all entry.

  Alert 1 , Severity ,closure ,,Garden of Eden and Panorama Point closed to all entry.Due to construction, Panorama Point and Garden of Eden area are closed to all entry day and night. This closure began July 9, and the closure could last for up to 28 days.

• Roads close Sunday through Thursday nights at 7 pm.

  Alert 1 , Severity ,closure ,,Roads close Sunday through Thursday nights at 7 pm. Crews are working on park roads at night through Nov. 30, 2017. Roads close at 7 pm Sunday through Thursday; last entrance is 6:30 pm and you must be out of the park by 7 pm on those nights. Roads reopen at 7 am. The campground is closed through November.

We got ours from the Grand County Library and watched it for our anniversary.

Well, it has nothing to do with Moab, but my wife and I have a tradition and we thought we’d pass it along…

FYI from our Canyonlands Backcountry Reservation Office…..it is that time of year again….wanted you to know.

Thanks,

Mary M. Wilson
Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services
Arches and Canyonlands National Parks
435-719-2140

​
ALERT: As of today May 15, 2017, the west side of the White Rim Road between the Potato Bottom and Labyrinth campsites is impassable due to flooding by the Green River during spring run-off. Parties traveling around the White Rim from the east side will not be able to exit the park via Mineral Bottom. We do not know how long it will remain impassable. If your trip has you entering or exiting through this area, please plan accordingly.

It is imperative that you determine current road and river conditions immediately prior to your trip start date in person at the Island in the Sky Visitor Center or by phone (435) 259-4712. Or you may contact the park Backcountry Office at canyres@nps.gov. It may be possible to change your trip itinerary if other sites are available.

The current flow on the Green River is 20,000 cfs and will most likely remain flooded at levels as low as 14,000 cfs.

So I finally got a chance to see the new dinosaur place just north of town. Now I see why it took a long time to build – it’s quite elaborate. Besides the obvious scientific research it took to recreate these critters, they’ve inserted some drama into the displays as well. Particularly cool was the aquarium exhibit (see video excerpt) I enjoyed the time spent there and will go again.

I recently went through the northern parts of the Dinosaur Diamond (The Dinosaur Diamond Scenic Byway is a 512-mile-long National Scenic Byway in the U.S. states of Utah and Colorado. The highway forms a diamond-shaped loop with vertices at Moab, Helper, Vernal and Grand Junction. – Wikipedia Article about Dinosaur Diamond) and saw how popular the whole subject of dinosaurs is.

Here’s a recent article found on LifeHacker.com that provides some wisdom. I pass it on for all you NPS afficionados.

Next week is National Park Week, which means free entry for you to national parks for the next two weekends. If you have a national park near you, here’s what you can do to get the most out of your free visit.

If you’re not sure whether there’s a national park nearby, check Find Your Park, which is run by the National Park Service. Even if you aren’t near a popular park like Yosemite, there are a lot of smaller gems that might be in your area. Once you’ve chosen which park you want to visit for free over the next couple weekends, plan your trip.

• Figure out what you want to see or where you want to hike. Resources like Chimani (app that specializes in parks), the National Park Service’s itinerary index, or recommendations from friends and family help you find the best spots to visit.
• Know how to avoid crowds, if that’s what you want. Free entry means that more people are likely to be visiting the parks at the same time as you. TomTom has partnered with the National Park Service to show you paths that are less hiked—literally the road less traveled—and therefore less likely to be swarming with people. You can also beat crowds by getting an early start and actually walking more than a mile or two on the popular trails (as most people drop off rapidly at that point).
• Get your kids involved. If you’re bringing kids along, get them engaged by using the Junior Rangers Program to get them interested in nature.
• Find the most stunning spots to take in the views (and snap a photo). A former National Geographic photographer lays out both the best hidden spots in national parks and the most visually breathtaking spots (there’s some overlap, unsurprisingly).
• Be prepared for the weather. Make sure you’re dressed properly (layers are a good thing) and have sun, wind, or rain protection so that you can enjoy your time at the park.

No matter which park you end up visiting during National Park Week, spend a little time preparing and you’ll have a much better time in the great outdoors.

Winter is close to over and then begins Orange Cone Season. Here’s the scoop on the National Parks’ construction schedules for this year, 2017.

https://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/construction.htm

And for download – Arches National Park News Releases

1. Road Construction Update for Arches National Park
2. Night Time Closure Planned During Major Road Construction Project in Arches National Park
3. Arches “3R” Road Construction Q & As

Also, here’s the 1610 AM radio recording now playing from the NPS. Stay tuned to this weblog for other developments.

This camera is designed to let people know when the entrance is crowded, very crowded, or extremely crowded. It updates every 5 minutes.

Entrance-Cam

I just can’t believe how a candidate from the “private sector” could beat one of the most powerful political machines in history. I’m not saying he’ll be any better, but just the fact that he isn’t a politician [by birth] should make this term INTERESTING.

That said, I hope the Soros riots end soon. It isn’t good…

Read All About It!

SOUTHERN UTAH — West Nile virus was found in mosquitoes collected last week by the Moab Mosquito Abatement District in the Matheson Preserve northwest of Moab. [Read More]

Hi, all. I’ve needed to take a quick trip to California recently. It’s always interesting to see how other areas deal with the narrow band of tourism during the “season.” Moab is so out of control during the peak times. An example is the link Arches National Park had to put on their website so visitors can see how backed up the traffic is. [It’s here]

I can tell you that I’ve been impressed with South Dakota and all it’s attractions, but it’s an ant hill just like Moab. The motel rooms are expensive and hard to find, even though they are plentiful. The hired help is polite but overwhelmed. Visitors are impatient because they understandably need some service.

But more recently we went through Ely, Nevada. That poor town is just off the grid, and has turned into a fixer upper. One bright light is the Hotel Nevada, and century-old relic of the silver mining boom. I can visualize vaudeville shows going on back then. For what it’s worth, the rooms are cheap and fancy, and plentiful. We look forward to staying. Bonus: there are no attractions around there!

My, how time flies! It’s been 100 years since the stalwart NPS was implemented. Not to be confused with the first national park, Yellowstone, in 1872, or Arches in 1971, but a date to remember anyway. There are films and fairs today at the visitor center, so stop by the park or at the Moab Information center and Main and Center streets to get details.

Most important! Have fun today!

Many consider this a challenging trail, but worth every step. It is so easy to get lost in this maze that you need a guide to get through (the white hat). Fitness permitting, the hike takes 3 hrs. for the 2 miles. Group size is limited and there is a fee of $16 or less.

Before Charlie Steen, the Uranium King (no relation to Charlie Sheen) discovered a massive vein of uranium, Moab’s vital industry was cattle. It is estimated his find netted him and his investors over $75,000,000 in 1950 dollars! Want that in 2016 dollars? Add a zero!

If you want to read about this pioneer, click here.

Holy Smoke! This is one of the most intense movies I have ever seen. Here’s a full version of Masters of Stone V on Vimeo. I can’t personally relate to the athlete’s antics, but they’re the best in the world, so who am I to disagree? Anyway, the music alone is worth the watch. Obscure but potent musicians like Harvey Mandell and Jason Becker. Enjoy…

Click here to go to Masters of Stone.

By the way, number six is just out.

So, yeah, the new Moab-exclusive MTB rally was this weekend, and the weather was perfect, the crowds reasonably well-behaved and a great time! See here for next year.

MOAB, Utah (AP) — Canyonlands National Park in eastern Utah is being recognized for its dark skies and lack of light pollution. Park officials say Canyonlands was named as an “International Dark Sky Park” by the Arizona-based International Dark-Sky Association. It’s one of 26 parks recognized by the group for park efforts to preserve views of the night sky.

This is good information to know:

• Pets are not allowed on any hiking trails or in the backcountry.
• Pets must be on leash at all times when outside your vehicle.
• Pets may be walked on roads, in paring lots and in the Devils Garden Campground.
• Pets must not be left unattended except in paid-for campsites at Devils Garden. Excessive noice may be cause for removal.

Three kennels are available in Moab:

1. Desert Doggie Daycare
   4890 Sunny Acres Lane – (435) 259-4841
2. Daren’s Canine Campground
   2781 s. Roberts Drive – (435) 259-7922
3. Moab Veterinary Clinic
   4575 Spanish Valley Drive – (435) 259-8710

Don't miss this attraction on your way south of Moab. It may be 40 miles out of your way, but a magnificent diversion. Click on each of these photos to see a bigger version.