This last leg was a fitting finale to the road trip that started three months earlier in Canada. It began with a quick sunset excursion to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and day at Mesa Verde exploring the ancient Pueblo ruins.
A visit to this area wouldn't be complete without stop at Four Corners to support the native indian tribe ($5 apiece to stand on bronze disk) and a visit to Monument Valley where it costs another $5 to capture that classic John Wayne photo.
From there we met up with a friend and stepped away from the tourist traps and deep into canyon country. Miles of 4WD road (thanks to Eric for providing transportation) will take you to some of the most surreal landscapes in North America.
With a few days to spare we ended at one of my favorite parks, Zion. We could have spent a month here but with limited time we had to cram in some of the top spots. We had several good hikes such as the Angels Landing classic (a very exposed knife edge ridge that leads to an overlook of the valley) and an overnight into the unpopulated country behind the checkerboard mesa.
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| Black Canyon of the Gunnison |
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| Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde |
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| Four Corners |
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| Monument Valley |
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| Coyote Buttes |
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| Angel's Landing, Zion |
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| Zion Backcountry |
As we turned north it was apparent that we'd lingered just a little to long. Snow had come, even to the southwest and the drive was a little sketchy. The van held her course despite snow, slush and high winds and we almost made the push in one day if it hadn't been for one final blizzard 3 hours from Richland. We simply pulled over, popped the top and slept until the plows had the road cleared the next morning. Then it was off the Richland and Hood River for repacking and family time.
