Little Wild Horse Canyon - Goblin Valley - Mar 1

Heading down to SE UT for the week-end. Decided to travel through the Mts on Route 6 (its shorter = quicker); hoping its not a mistake. What a wonderful drive!! Up, up through the foothills (and there's snow on the northern slopes) and mts zipping along enjoying the sights. After reaching the Pioneer Plateau, its all downtown. The landscape changes to rock formations and uplifts after reaching Price.

I was told but a few folks at work to walk-thru Little Wild Horse Canyon (a slot canyon near Goblin Valley) so I stopped. BLM folks and Park Ranger at stop working on signage (I later found out). The directions said that many people miss the entrance and end up just walking down the wash so I was on the look-out -- maybe too much because I took a right fork that wasn't Little Wild Horse Canyon. I kinda knew from the start (as it didn't seem to be 1/2 mile down wash yet AND I didn't hit a deadfall right away) but I gave myself 5 minutes -- hey there were other human tracks might as well check it out.... I turned around back to the wash.

I decided to continue down the wash -- it'll be a nice walk anyway. Well a little further down, I came to the slot canyon entrance and the deadfall (don't know how anyone could miss this). The deadfall was a bunch of rocks taller than me -- I wasn't going over it. So I checkout the ledge on the right to see if I can get over that way; it was a little tight. The left side looked passable but I didn't know if it would drop back into the canyon.

 So I turned around and headed back -- will try another day.

The BLM and ranger stopped me; wanted to know where I came from so I told them my story. The ranger stood up and shook my hand for "being his hero today" as I was smart enough to turn around when I wasn't quite sure where I was. :) (Ironically, the 2 were talking about all the people they've rescued from the canyon over the years --- some in not too good of shape.) Well, the BLM was there creating better signs so people knew where to go --- said next year I won't get confused.

Onto Goblin Valley just down the road. What a cool place!! Its 3 valleys filled with smaller rock formations that look like goblins. Can't image what the 1st settlers/explorers thought when they saw this place.

I started with one of the trails around the valley and wouldn't you know, I lost the trail and had to turn around (just my luck today)! But that's ok because I spent the 1.5 hours wandering through the valleys and the little goblins. Very fun!!

Time to head to Moab before dark! Saw 3 little herds of pronghorn on 70 on the way there -- counted 3, 5, 3.