4th day - 362 miles

The day started with a huge detour and ended up with me getting caught by night fall in the middle of the mountains on a dirt road 40 miles to the closest town. After taking 35 miles of dirt road that that was supposed to take me over a mountain pass, I had to turn around because the forest service closed the road halfway without any notice. That's according to some locals. Added to the 70 miles I had to go around another 85 miles to get back to where I had to go. Arches N. P . will have to wait till next time. Canyonsland N. P. was absolutely amazing. Smooth and twisty roads through a labyrinth of crazy looking rock formations. Truly, this must have been Gods sandbox. Everything went and nothing had to make sense.

Leaving the Rocky's behind.

Ouch! All the way back again.

First Mexican Restaurant in the middle of nowhere.  Great Tortilla Soup!!

One of the few shady places to be found.

Even so I had to bypass Arches N.P. Here is a glimpse of what I missed.

Ahhh! The Wild Wide West.

Close to Monument Valley

Getting into Canyonsland N.P.

This does not look as weird as in reality.

The Mesa

Marble colored cliffs. More than 2000 feet tall.

Creek Crossing (3 feet deep). Maybe this should have been a warning on what's to come?

Believe me, this was the better part of the 75 mile road through the Beef Basin.

Sunset on the Mesa.

Birch grouping on top of the Mesa.

Even this Pine is dead - it had something to tell.

Maybe I should have paid more attention to planning this better?