Friday, April 25 
After coffee and breakfast and a quick walk around Green River State Park campground in east-central Utah, I shut the crew inside the Best Little Trailer and head for the shower house. When I return I’m pleased that it’s quiet inside the BLT. I open the door to two canine mugs, happy to see me again.
“What good puppies you are!”
One afternoon and night in the campground is enough to refresh me and the crew.
I’m ready to boondock again. I break camp and drive us over to the campground’s drinking water station to fill up the tank.
Next I drive over to the dump station.
This campground is so handy.
All goes well until I prepare to flush my sewer hose before replacing it in the bumper of the BLT. I hold the sewer hose in my left hand and the flushing hose in my right. With my right hand I lift up the lever to start the water.
It comes out with the pressure of a fire hose!
You know those joke canisters that, when opened, a paper snake with a spring jumps out, wiggling and flying about? Well, that’s what the water hose does! It has a mind of its own, tearing out of my hand to whirl like a dervish.
I drop my sewer hose and leap out of the streams of cold water. The hose continues to jump around. I’m laughing my head off as I dive back into the spray in order to push the lever down and stop the flow of water.
Who knew dumping could be such fun?
Okay, where to go next? Last night I sat in bed studying my Utah atlas. I thought the crew and I would spend a lot longer time in Moab and the National Parks than we actually did.
We are way ahead of ourselves.
Here we are in central Utah already. The first two years of our vagabond life we were still in Arizona in April.
The next leg of of our trek north is from Green River to Price. The online weather report for Price is cold, wind, and rain. It also says it’s snowing in southern Wyoming. Heck, Monticello (7,066 ft.), south of Moab, is expecting a low of 23 degrees!
What to do?
Seek lower elevation without going further north . . .
We certainly aren’t going to hang around Green River (even though it’s only 4,079 ft.) or backtrack to Moab or Monticello.
Before leaving Green River I fill up the gas tank ($3.59). We take Interstate 70 west, passing the sign that says “no services 153 miles.” That’s if you go all the way to Salina, I guess.
We travel about fifteen miles and take exit 149 to ride Highway 24 south.
The crew and I camped in a lovely canyon in the San Rafael Reef in 2012. It’s located near Goblin Valley State Park. We didn’t camp long in the canyon because I couldn’t pick up any internet signal.
I loved it there!
Before returning to that fondly remembered canyon, I turn west off Highway 24 to explore another road going toward the Reef. I’m curious to see if there’s another great boondock!
The road soon deteriorates to a narrow, dirt, single lane. I become concerned about the difficulty of turning around. I drive a one-lane bridge over a creek. The scenery is pretty . . . lots of soft green against rock.
A fork in the road forces me to make a decision.
It may be the last place I can turn around for who knows how far. Also a sign reads “access by permit only” and another reads “Hatt Ranch.” My atlas shows a mix of BLM and patches of private land, probably the BLM land lying beyond the private land.
When in doubt, get out.
I don’t want some rancher yelling at my door that I have to leave when I’m in my jammies and about to go to bed!
I turn around, get back on Highway 24 and continue southward. I want to return to that marvelous canyon anyway! This time we won’t make camp in the canyon, but rather we’ll camp above it, so I’ll have a better chance of picking up internet signal.
Our new camp!
Beautiful views in all directions! The dirt road goes down into the canyon.
I estimate our elevation at 4,000-4,500 feet.
This next photo is the view to the southeast from our campsite. It’s good to be in wide open space again!
I can see the canyon from our front door and from the side window . . .
Bridget and Spike explore their new home. I’m giggling with delight. This is one of our best camps ever!
“AACKK!! A SNAKE!”
I toss the crew inside the BLT and shut the screen door. The snake is headed toward the Perfect Tow Vehicle!
Click to enlarge.
I stand beside the headlight, about eight feet from the snake, and determine that it has no rattles.
Even so, it still could be venomous. . . .
Dang, I can’t let it crawl into the PTV!
I throw a few stones at it to make it leave.
It doesn’t faze the snake. So much for vibration scaring a snake. I toss a stone that lightly hits the tail. The snake pulls back (photo below) Well, that got your attention!
I run around to the back of the PTV and pull out a rake.
Click to enlarge.
The snake has changed direction. By scratching the dirt near the snake’s tail, I convince it to move away. I rake close behind it until it’s about 50 feet or so away from the PTV.
Sorry to harrass you, lil’ buddy, but I’m not sharing this campsite!
Later, I look at a field guide.
Oh, it’s only a gopher snake. Gee, I wasn’t very nice to our welcoming party.
This is going to be fun! I’m looking forward to photographing the canyon and the wildflowers!
rvsue
NOTE: I apologize for the gaps between posts. I have intermittent internet. Today (Tues., 4/29) I drove back to Green River in order to have a strong enough signal to post this, and to pick up a few groceries. I’d like to stay a few more days at our canyon camp. It’s gorgeous and there’s a lot to explore! Eventually I’ll get the blog up-to-date. Please understand if I’m absent from the blog. I will read all your comments.
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