Heading South. 24/9/10

Finished downloading the blog in the morning and on the road at 1100. Took the 191/189 out of Jackson classed as a scenic byway and a really beautiful road. Past Cowboys doing real cowboy things and scenery that was becoming more and more desert like with sage bush and little else on the sandy soil. Stopped in Green River for fuel before taking the 530 on the western side of the Flaming Gorge.
Stopped at a National forest service camp site where we were able to shelter from the wind and sun under a metal canopy. We were later joined by some large eared Mule deer who were enjoying the camp site grass. Later a father and son team joined us on the camp site who were going to fish the lake for a few days. The full moon rise over the park office was stunning as where the stars in the endless sky that night.
We crossed into Utah and joined the 44 which climbed over a pass giving magnificent views of the Flaming Gorge. Joined the 191 stopping for lunch at the city of Naples before joining the 40 crossing the state line into Colorful Colorado just short of Dinosaur. Turning onto the 64 then 139 we travelled over Douglas Pass at 8268 ft which is another 10 out of 10 motorbike road, before stopping for the night at the Highline Lake State park, where we camped under a huge Cottonwood tree with view over the lake and hills beyond.
The lake was quite small having be made by damming an irrigation channel off the Colorado River and people were going round and round in powerboats, some towing water skiers other just going round and round.
The next day Gertie the GPS wanted to take us on a cross country route. We saw some interesting things, the gravel road seemed to go on for ever, before turning back and joining the Interstate 70. Loosing the will to live on such roads we turned off onto the 128 past Cisco describe as 'Hydrocarbon Heaven' but looked more like a huge junk yard. We were told that people lived there but there was no evidence of them. Suddenly from the dry plains we were in the Colorado river canyon
following the fast flowing muddy river south west. We passed a farm that was able to irrigate it's fields and the colours green against the red rock and blue sky was stunning.
We were now entering the land of canyons and strange rock formations
as we drew into Moab and settled into the KOA camp site. The temperature was 93F and we were told that KOA had a pool. That's the place to stay we thought only to be told they had closed it down on the 16th September. Had a nice trees for shade though.