About 80-90 mins from Bryce, Lower Calf Creek Falls would have been our next scheduled hike (reviews were outstanding, as the trail follows the riverbed and ends at a waterfall) but at 6.2 miles, would have been a bit much, in similar cold temps. We did stop often, and at many vistas, as the drive towards Escalante is an eye-pleasing experience. Capitol Reef National Park offers a quite a few hiking options, but when Zion, Bryce, Arches and Canyonlands are in the vicinity, the competition is just overwhelming…
One of those excellent options is the Peek-a-boo and Spooky Slot Canyon. The double loop itself is about 6 miles long and looks strenuous. At certain points it gets extremely narrow, and notes from other travelers indicate the trail is not always clearly marked. Even if we wanted to include this in our itinerary, we couldn’t as the access road to get to the trailhead is about an our deep into the Capitol Reef National Park, on a dirt road that’s not very RV friendly.
Another hour and a half later, Grand Wash (5 miles out and back) would have been another option, but by then, we had to stop for gas. The weather warmed up a bit and things under the RV began to thaw out. That’s when we realized the extend of the damage: the water pump was spraying everywhere; attempting to fill the clean water tank resulted in the water gushing out at the same speed it was going in. This meant that we’ll be without water going forward. Or until someone in Moab had a chance to look at it. Tip #8: consider these types of potential inconveniences as part of the RV-rental decision process. I called the owner, but of course, there wasn’t much he could do. It was on me to attempt to find a mechanic on our next stop (which I tried, but none were responding, available, interested, or able to fix it on short notice). We came to grips with the fact that we’ll have to “wing it” going forward. Alternatively, renting through a larger, national presence-type company could have probably offered an exchange. Probably. We’ll never know.
So back on the road, calling various RV repair places in Moab, but ultimately no success. A little over two hours later we were restocking supplies, and shortly after – just before sunset – we settled in Devil’s Garden Campground, inside Arches National Park. Tip #9: weird laws in Utah don’t allow alcohol purchases at a grocery store if a minor is present. Leave your progeny in the car, if buying booze.
Hugely popular, Arches is breathtaking. And the area surrounding Moab is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts (especially the motorized kind, with offroad trails for Jeeps or any kind of 4-wheeled contraption). There are dozens of rental outfits in Moab, and I’m sure they’re all extremely busy, especially in the summer months.
As the sun set, we managed a quick hike that was just behind our RV spot: Tapestry and Broken Arch trail, for just under 2 miles. Enough to wet the appetite for what Arches had to offer and work up an actual appetite for an al-fresco dinner under the stars. Clear skies, a nice sunset, still cold, but at least above freezing!
How about the water situation, you ask? Well, we bought a few gallons to make coffee, wash cups and drain the toilet (luckily, the gray and black tanks were not impacted; only the fresh water). Showers were replaced by thorough scrubs with baby wipes. We adapt!
Follow below for the other entries in this trip:
Day 1 - Zion
Day 2 - Zion, Angel's Landing
Day 3 - Bryce Canyon
Day 4 - From Bryce to Moab
Day 5 - Arches National Park
Day 6 - Canyonlands & Monument Valley
Day 7 - Colorado River & Horseshoe Bend
Day 8+ - Antelope Canyon & Vegas
Links to some of the places mentioned:
Lower Calf Creek Falls: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/lower-calf-creek-falls--3
Grand Wash: https://www.roadtripryan.com/go/t/utah/capitol-reef/grand-wash
Slot Canyons: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/peek-a-boo-and-spooky-slot-canyons
Arches official site: https://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm
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