Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Sand Dunes and Scenic Drives

Nephi, Utah

Week 1 of working the Little Sahara Recreation area is behind us and we have less than 2 weeks left before we finish our summer job. And it appears as though summer is ending and fall is in the air in this area of Utah.




Nephi is located just south of Provo along I-15. On a recent drive to a nearby Walmart we noticed a sign for Mt Nebo Scenic Loop. Last weekend we decided to check it out and drove the 38 mile route through the mountains between Nephi and Payson. Mt Nebo is the tallest mountain in the Wasatch Mountain Range at 11,928' and the scenic loop rises from the surrounding area almost 4000' to a just a little over 9000'.


There are overlooks into Utah Valley and the colors are really starting to show. There are numerous campgrounds and trail heads along the route, as well as lots of wildlife. The road is closed during the winter, so if you're thinking of taking a drive, you'll have to get here quick or wait till spring to visit.


The area we're working in is home to a huge recreational area for dirt bikes and ATV's. Many of the areas are concentrated use and a majority of the trails are not wide enough for most 4x4 vehicles, including jeeps. This has made our job challenging to say the least, but we're making progress finding ways to "get 'er done!" Joan and I are finding it hard to get depressed as we're short timers and will be finishing our tour next week. Funny how that works, huh!

When we leave we're hoping to spend a few days in Moab, before heading on to St George for the Huntsman Senior Olympics. If you've never heard of the Huntsman Games, check it out online. Last year there were over 11,000 senior athletes competing in over 28 different sports. I will be reuniting with The Cardiac Kids, my old softball team from Florida. We have 2 tournaments scheduled within 7 days, expecting to play somewhere between 8 and 15 games depending on the bracket structure and how well we play. Wish us luck.

Continuing to do some odds and ends around the RV; adding an extra shelf in Joan's closet; needed a storage location for the various pads and blocks used to level the RV, so I found some unused space above the LP tank in the side bay and built a shelf to hold the 8-10 blocks I use. Keeps the dirt out of the regular storage bays and gives me easy access to them when I need them; also I removed, cleaned and painted the windshield wipers before installing new wiper blades.

Several weeks ago we were needing some shade from the sun on the RV windshield. When we bought the RV 5 years ago there was a set of window covers for all the large windows, tires and wipers. Only problem was I could not figure out how to place the large windshield screen on the RV. No snaps or magnets on the RV or with the covers. No instructions either. Fortunately we had not had a problem with direct sunlight until now! And now we really needed shade. So I reached out to one of the smartest guys I knew (in Montana) Dave of the Wandering Wingers. And sure enough, within 10 minutes he had figured it out. One little bracket had fallen off the windshield screen and once we replaced it and attached a strap on the opposite side of the screen it all made sense. Now we have a nice screening shade cover for the large windshield. Thanks Dave! So even after 5 years of ownership and almost 4 years of full-timing I'm still learning about our rig. Let that be a lesson to you. There's always something new to learn.

Well, that's it for now. Stay Tuned. More to Come!


5 comments:

  1. Good luck with the Senior Olympics! Keep us posted on your team does:)

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  2. We'll be working our way down to Capitol Reef. Overnighting at Yuba Lake on the way. Not too far from you guys. Love the pretty red mixed in with the aspens on the hillsides.

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  3. As much as we have been to SLC we have never taken that scenic route, it has always been closed. I am guessing it is absolutely beautiful with the changing of colors.

    Have fun and good luck in St. George!

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  4. Sounds like we'll miss you for the holidays this year :-(. But maybe you'll be passing through the Tetons again next summer!

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  5. Just stumbled onto your blog and must add my compliments on an interesting read. (Most, sadly, aren't.) Now you're on our reader--and we notice you read our rag (thanks!). Safe travels!

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