Exploring Moab and SNOW!

SNOW, WE HAD SNOW TODAY!!  Ok I am just a bit excited about the snowfall but will refocus and fill you in on our day.

We got up bright and early so that we could get into the park. We were told to check through the gates by 9:00 am if we wanted to get in in the morning. Because we are moving to a new campsite we had to close up the RV and hook up and drive our Winnebago into the park. Our plan was to unhook at the Visitor Center and then just explore the park in our truck. We checked into the park and got the OK to leave our RV in the parking lot.

Not the only ones with this idea, we parked our RV and took a moment to pack a picnic lunch and let the kids explore the rocks that surrounded the parking lot. After a busy morning it was nice to take a moment to relax and enjoy my morning coffee. I had a special treat and we face timed my mom to enjoy some morning coffee with her while my dad was away at a workshop all day. It definitely was a great way to start my day.  

After we said our goodbyes we were off to explore more of the park. The forecast predicted an afternoon storm and the dark sky in the distance made for some pretty great pictures. Our first destination was Sand Dune Arch.  The hike, with the tall red/pink walls towering around us, was beautiful. The kids were especially excited because this hike had large areas that were filled with sand. It was like a giant pink sandbox and Ariel and Wyatt loved it.

Ron had a great time climbing up the rocks. Sadly I couldn’t explore with him since my fear of heights kept me safely on the ground. The Arch was beautiful and I was in awe looking at it. It was amazing for me to see just how powerful erosion is. While Ron explored more of the rocks I had fun watching Ariel and Wyatt make pictures in the sand and dig to try to find water. I think half of the sand came home with them in their shoes and clothes.  

After this, we hiked to look at more arches. This was a longer hike and we knew that we would be pushing it with Wyatt, but we pressed on. We saw Tunnel Arch, Pine Tree Arch and Landscape Arch. Again, it was a beautiful hike and the arches were very impressive. The dark sky was getting closer and I could smell the rain in the air. We knew we didn’t have a lot of time.  The last part of the trail required some billy goat climbing. Ron pressed on to explore while the kids and I stayed behind.

I wished I had more courage to climb up these rocks, but I knew that once I got up I would not be able to make it back down. My fear of heights can cripple me at times where I can’t move.  I also didn’t feel comfortable letting my two little cubs scamper up these rocks either, despite how much they wanted to.  A hundred scary scenarios went through my head involving the kids falling off the rocks into the neighbouring crevices.   

Our hike back was filled with some complaints from Wyatt and a few moments of tears, but he rallied and we made it. The promise of a yummy picnic lunch gave him the strength to keep hiking. Ron and I knew that we were pushing it at this point with Wyatt’s energy level and the impending storm now looming above us. Still, we decided to make one last stop to see Delicate Arch. We couldn’t do the complete hike which would have brought us up to the arch but we hiked to the viewpoint and made it just as the rain started to fall. After some pictures, we ran back to the truck.  I am happy we were able to see everything we wanted to in the park today and stay dry.

We drove back to our waiting RV and had lunch in the comfort of our camper. The storm was picking up and the RV shook with the wind.  There was a snow advisory issued for Moab today and the storm was upon us.  After lunch we hooked up the RV to make our way to our new campsite. During hook up we realized that somehow the pins that hold our sway bars in place went missing. We are not sure how they disappeared but we knew we needed a plan to secure them in place. After a careful drive back to camp, thankfully the KOA store had some large pins for securing hitches. Ron devised a plan to make them work for our sway bars.  

We arrived at new campsite (much better than the one we were at the night before), set up, and then it happened. It started to snow. Our RV buzzed with excitement! I grew up with white Christmases and I love the snow. The kids love the snow because they associate it with Santa, Christmas, and Canada. Ron loves any kind of stormy weather so he was excited too. We kept with my family tradition and played Christmas music to celebrate the first snowfall of the season. This was the first time since moving away from northern BC that I have seen a snowfall before Halloween. It brought back so many memories of my sister and I bundling up in our snowsuits and Halloween costumes as kids.  

We decided to enjoy the snow and venture into town for a bite to eat. We listened to Christmas carols and sang along to the ones we knew as we drove into Moab. Spokes was a great place for dinner. We sat at our upstairs table and watched the snow fall on the streets while sipping our Moab Mules. As an extra bonus the Seahawks game was on so we got to enjoy that too.  We spent the dinner talking with the kids about the holidays coming up and trying to guess each other’s favourite Christmas movie.  It’s funny how a snowfall can turn us all into kids again.  

Our excitement carried us all the way back to our campsite until we walked into the RV and realized that it was a bit chilly without a furnace that works. Our biggest concern is our pipes.  We do not want them to freeze and then burst. Ron unhooked the water hose from the water hook up at our site and we relied on the water tank and pump for the night. We don’t want our water hose to freeze up either which was why we disconnected it.

We turned up the heat on our new heater to high and said a prayer. Let’s hope the heat inside the camper will be enough to keep the pipes which are just underneath our floor from freezing.  Ariel and Wyatt watched some of the Santa Clause movie (which is Ariel’s favourite). Maggie and Remi got cozy in their kennels inside the RV tonight. And Ron and I put on Christmas Vacation (my favourite Christmas movie). Then we called it a night. 

Goodnight from snowy Utah!