As It Is Above, So It Is Below
2008.09.26 | 0 Comments
One of the things that I love about
Moab, Utah is the juxtaposition of desert and mountain
environments. Midway between those two extremes is the
Moab Rim, a towering escarpment that overlooks the
Spanish Valley and the town of Moab.
According to the website "The
Geologic History of Moab",during the "Tertiary Period,
the Moab Fault allowed salt to erode, collapsing the center
of an anticline. A fault line runs down
each side of the Moab valley, joining near the entrance to
Arches National Park. Perhaps because of water running
down along the fault line, salt dissolved away deep under
the rock of Moab. The overlying slab sunk down, creating a
'collapsed
anticline' that is the Spanish and Moab valley".
'collapsed
anticline' that is the Spanish and Moab valley".
Bisected, as it is, by the
Colorado River, one wonders if the whole valley might at
one time have been a lake, impounded on the downstream side
by that solid rim. If so, did it slowly and inexorably wear
away until the river canyon established itself, finally
reaching the natural, smooth gradient that the river
exhibits today? If any geologists know the answer to this
question, we would love to hear about it via email.
The
Grand Canyon of the Colorado River is famous to most
visitors as a place where we look down and into the canyon.
The Spanish Valley is a place, similar to
Zion National Park where, for the most part, we look up
to the canyon
rim.
rim.
One exception to this is if you hike the
Hidden Valley Trail, which climbs 680 from the valley
floor to the top of the rim and a final elevation of 5270
feet. From there, one has myriad views that include
Potash, Moab, the Spanish Valley and
Geyser Pass in the
Manti La Sal National Forest. Since the whole hike is
only two miles one-way, it should be on the "to do list" of
every reasonably fit visitor to Moab.
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If
you plan to hike the trail, it is best to start early,
before the heat of the day. Take plenty of water and a
camera to document the spectacular scenery and late season
wild flowers. Since this is a
protected area, do not stray from the path, as even one
off-path hiker can leave tracks that will not heal for
years, if not decades in this
fragile environment.
Another way to enjoy the Moab Rim is from
below. My favorite place for doing this is west off of
Highway 191 on an unnamed road that starts adjacent to the
Moab Rim Campark (at 1900 South Highway, 191, Moab,
Utah). The pavement ends just past the power lines that
parallel
Highway
191. If you continue up the road, you can park where the
road turns right and get out of your car. With its easy
access and immediate remoteness, it is a great place for a
disabled visitor to get away from civilization for a bit.
Highway
191. If you continue up the road, you can park where the
road turns right and get out of your car. With its easy
access and immediate remoteness, it is a great place for a
disabled visitor to get away from civilization for a bit.
If you have four-wheel drive, or are riding a
mountain bike, you can continue on to a series of connecting
dirt tracks that take you to the base of the Moab Rim.
Either way, there are several
desert watercourses (dry, except during a storm) that
you can walk without damaging the fragile soils and plant
life that you will encounter.
One
of the best times to visit the base of the Moab Rim is at
dusk. From there, you can watch the sun set behind the rim
and see Moab transform from an apparent lake of trees into
its nighttime incarnation as a brightly lit tourist town.
You will still hear traffic on the highway, but it is muted
and unobtrusive. After the sun dips below the Moab Rim,
the desert air will coolool considerably, so bring at least
one layer of clothing beyond what feels right while the sun
is still up.
Since this is one of my favorite places in
the Spanish Valley, please do our environment a favor if you
visit here. Bring a plastic grocery bag and fill it with
any beer bottles or other small trash you might find
there. If each visitor
removes even a small amount of trashsh, the occasional "hell
raiser" will be less likely to see this as an
open dumping ground.
there. If each visitor
removes even a small amount of trashsh, the occasional "hell
raiser" will be less likely to see this as an
open dumping ground.
If the Moab Rim were located anywhere else
but amidst the profusion of natural wonders that surround
the Spanish Valley, it would probably rank at least
National Monument status. Since it is open land and
policed on the honor system by the
Bureau of Land Management, I hope that everyone who
cares will help protect and enjoy its unspoiled beauty.
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