We woke this morning and left the hotel by 7:00 AM.  We had  protein bars, bananas, and coffee with us for breakfast on the run.  Our goal was to reach Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park by sunrise.  Our hotel was less than a half an hour away, so we would be close.

We got to our vantage point on the south rim of the canyon.   There was nobody else there.  It was peaceful.  There were a few clouds in the sky as the sun started to peek up over the edge of the canyon wall announcing to us the start of yet another incredible day.  This was my first “Wow” moment of the day.

The Black Canyon is not as well known as the Grand Canyon, and it certainly is not as big.  However, it is a sight to behold.  The walls are dark and the pitch is steep.  It is called “black” because there are areas of the canyon that only have sunlight 33 minutes of the day.

We stayed along the south rim for an hour or so.  We took pictures and at times, we just watched.  It was a gift to see the sunlight as it lit up different areas of the canyon walls.  The sky changed colors.  The sun started to shine brighter and I channel my inner “Ansel Adams” and switched the camera to black and white mode to try to capture some of what he might have done.

Katie Q and I share an appreciation for the beauty of the world and the gift it gives us every day.  We were glad to be there.

After we had our fill of the sunrise, we took a drive up around a campground near by.  We rode in and around the loops seeing brave souls who had camped in tents the previous night.  If it would have been a month earlier, perhaps tent camping would have been on our itinerary.  We found the warmth of our hotel room a bit more cozy.  As we drove along the last loop of the campground we were lucky to see two young mule deer buck feeding in the brush.  A few feet past them were two does with a small yearling.

We drove back towards the entrance and turned left down East Portal Road.  This was our means of seeing the canyon from down below.  The road was paved, but not fast-paced.  There were hairpin curves and 16% grades.  The brakes on Katie Q’s car exclaimed they were not pleased with part of the descent.

When we got to the canyon floor, we rode along the Gunnison River.  This was my second “Wow” moment of the day.  The Gunnison is a fantastic trout stream.  It screams “fish”.  We drove along the river and saw two more mule deer does.  I looked around at the terrain and would have loved to see them traverse the canyon!  We drove until we found a spot well upstream, and got out to walk.  

This was my kind of place.  We watched the water as we walked. There were trout feeding intermittently, announcing their presence with a splash.  Katie Q enjoyed the entertainment as well… especially when a fat brown trout jumped out far enough that we could see the golden belly!  

We climbed down to the edge of the water.  Even though I was not fishing, I still wanted to see it that way.  I dipped my fingers into the water.  That water is COLD.  The Gunnison has a well known stonefly hatch mid summer. I pulled a few stones to flip them over to see if there was aquatic life clinging to the stones.  No joy. 

We were blessed with the appearance of a bald eagle as we lingered along the edge of the stream.  A bald eagle always reminds me of my dad.  It was a nice reminder of water he and I fished together.   It was a nice moment to share with him today.

We did not see many more birds other than the eagle.  We did catch sight of a few Stellar Jays, a Common Scrub Jay, a Junco, and Robins.  It is not easy terrain for bird or beast.

We left the park at about 11:30 AM and Katie Q had two routes in mind to Moab.  One would be about 30 minutes longer than the other.  We picked the longer route.  The longer route took us along the western edge of the Uncompahgre National Forest on our way to Moab, Utah.

This leg of our journey took us along Dallas Creek where we saw a great camp ground and a lake.  When we got to Ridgeway, Colorado, we drove along the Uncompahgre River.  It had a milky color to it, resembling lime stone streams of Pennsylvania.  It also looked very “fishy” and worth a visit at another time.  

As we drove we marveled at the San Juan Mountains. The gray granite of the Rocky Mountains was gone as the red rock started to show itself.  Our drive continued to wind us up and down through the San Miguel Canyon and along that river.  I was tickled to see a fishing pull off named “Caddis Flats”.  The fly fishermen reading will be tickled too.

The road was not terribly busy with vehicle traffic, but there were quite a few road cyclists taking advantage of the sunshine.  What great terrain to pedal!  This was the tail end of our part of Colorado.   We said good bye to Colorado, thankful for our time there, and said hello to Utah.

Utah welcomed us with mountains and mesas. Red rock was everywhere.  The mesas had pockets of pines growing in places that seemed unable to support plant life.  We stopped often to take pictures but found our ability to capture the magnitude of these sights, and our words to describe them would fall short of just what incredible beauty it holds.  Suffice it say it is definitely something you have to see to fully appreciate.  This was my third “Wow” moment of the day.

It took us a couple of hours to make our way from the park in Colorado to Moab.  Most of the miles were desolate.  There were ranches here and there, and an occasional town.  One town we passed had a post office that looked like a shed.  There was no cellular service.  There were one or two gas stations.  We talked about the people who built their lives there.  We talked about those who lived there in the wild west.  We were thankful that it is there for us to pass through and appreciate.  

We arrived in Moab mid-day and found our AirBnB lodging.  The host family welcomed us and showed us our room for the night.  We settled in, did laundry, and stretched with yoga, and then connected with wifi so we could connect to the rest of our world. 

Our search for dinner was not difficult.  Moab is not a big city, but it is a busy place.  Moab is a huge mountain biking destination.  As we walked, we saw many vehicles with bikes on board.  We walked less than a mile to the Moab Brewery for a great meal and a local ale.  I would recommend the Derailleur Ale to anyone!  

We are back at our resting place with full bellies and big smiles.  It is warm outside and there are crickets chirping in the back yard.  We miss our people and our fur babies.  We are thankful to have this opportunity with each other and know it is as it should be.

As we wind down our busy brains for sleep, we know that life is good.