• Saturday 3/25

On the road by 7:05 and headed to Anticline Overlook and look at a campground on the way. #6 gravel road all the way. Turned in to Hatch Point Campground. Maybe 8 sites, 2 occuppied. Certainly worthy. Cruise thru and continue to the Overlook. This view is almost the opposite direction from Needle Outlook. I shoot some video, there were 30-40 Jeeps/trucks and one little white van that looked like front wheel drive. (binoculars let you see things!) All on the roads below in the canyon. It’s called Kane Canyon, big ATV / off road. Walked around scoped out the Potlach plant and headed back.

Okay, I think I’ll head to Hovenweep National Monument. That’s south and get out of this cloudy, windy, get my stocking cap out, kinda of weather. Um, a little white van? How bad could these roads be? ( foreshadowing, Jake) Got my mind made up , know where I’m…. “Outlook 4×4 only.” Hmmm, little white van…. well I never put it in 4 wheel in the 3 hours it took to get to “Canyonlands Outlook” I did get out and walk ahead a couple of times but seriously we have bigger potholes in Missoula. Now that doesn’t mean I made it all the way in the rig. I didn’t. It turned into a 4×4 track about a mile before the Outlook. But where I turned around was the best site! Right on the edge with world class views.

Walked to the Outlook and had a couple of ravens(?) scare / entertain me. I was sitting on the green stool checking it out when out of the corner of my eye I catch movement. Two ravens came from below the cliff line and buzzed me! Close enough that I flinched. Then they soared in the currents! I asked them if they knew Sonny Hunter, but they didn’t answer. Oh well.

Walked back and watched a Jeep negotiate what I wouldn’t try. Looked like 4-Low to me and he slowly got er done. So a cloudy sunset that lite up different parts of the canyon, a excellent part of LOTR where Frodo makes the run past the Black Riders on the Elve horse to Rivendell. What a place to listen too this at! A wash cloth bath and changing of clothes. At this rate two pairs of underwear would of been enough.

Hovenweep here I start.

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