Dewey Bridge, Utah...

has an interesting history, nicely summarized in this illustrated article in the The Canyon Country Zephyr in 2018: A History of Dewey, Utah by Herm Hoops.

All that remains of historic Dewey Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in Utah when constructed in 1916. Sadly, this wooden structure was completely destroyed in a fire in 2008 by an unwatched 7-year old miscreant playing with matches.

All that remains of historic Dewey Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in Utah when constructed in 1916. Sadly, this wooden structure was completely destroyed in a fire in 2008 by an unwatched 7-year old miscreant playing with matches.

My last image of historic Dewey Bridge, with my late wife Donna, in June 2007.

My last image of historic Dewey Bridge, with my late wife Donna, in June 2007.

Of course I do! I’m a professional!

Of course I do! I’m a professional!

Vandalized petroglyphs on a desert varnished sandstone slab along Utah 128 about two miles north of Dewey Bridge.

Vandalized petroglyphs on a desert varnished sandstone slab along Utah 128 about two miles north of Dewey Bridge.

Relict gas station on north side of historic Dewey Bridge. The weathered mural was painted in 1980.

Relict gas station on north side of historic Dewey Bridge. The weathered mural was painted in 1980.

Here’s an attempt at carving a home in the Slickrock Member of the Entrada Formation, suitable for a geologist!

Here’s an attempt at carving a home in the Slickrock Member of the Entrada Formation, suitable for a geologist!

Interior of main room, with a wonderful view of the Colorado River. Note rock bolts in the ceiling typically used in mining.

Interior of main room, with a wonderful view of the Colorado River. Note rock bolts in the ceiling typically used in mining.

GPS track of my explorations for the day, totaling 17 miles with 1,600 feet vertical gain.

GPS track of my explorations for the day, totaling 17 miles with 1,600 feet vertical gain.

A mysterious metal obelisk...

has just recently been discovered in the sandstone wilderness of southeastern Utah, and with a little bit of sleuthing with Google Earth, I’ve pinpointed the location! Here’s the link to a news article with pictures of the interesting art installation that apparently has been there since 2016.

Screenshot of Google Earth showing the location of the obelisk. (Click image to enlarge.)

Looks like I’ve got a project ahead in the next few weeks as I chase down this alien monolith. Stay tuned for pictures! Hint: It’s not too far off the Lockhart Basin road south of Moab, Utah.

UPDATE: Here are the Double Top Secret coordinates: 38°20'35.1"N 109°39'58.2"W.

UPDATED UPDATE: Apparently the unique installation has been removed in the dark of the nearly full moon according to news reports as of 29 November 2020. Well, kudos to the inspired creator, and to those that removed it, you spoiled some adventurous fun during an otherwise incredibly dreary year.

The last month in residence...

in Castle Valley, Utah has seen me on my bike each and every day except for two, for a total of 451 miles, now 11 weeks since my full hip replacement surgery!

Google Earth image of larger Moab, Utah area, showing GPS tracks of the various trails I have ridden in the last month. (Click image to enlarge.)

Sevenmile Rim Road...

north of Moab, Utah, provides adventurous access to some interesting landforms developed at the Navajo Sandstone and Entrada Formation contact.

Determination Towers consists of the lower Dewey Bridge Member and the upper Slickrock Member of the Entrada Formation. Bike is standing on the upper surface of the Navajo Sandstone (Jurassic).

Determination Towers consists of the lower Dewey Bridge Member and the upper Slickrock Member of the Entrada Formation. Bike is standing on the upper surface of the Navajo Sandstone (Jurassic).

Merrimac and Monitor Buttes (left and right, respectively), named after the famed ironclad battleships of the Civil War, facing off as if in the Battle of Hampton Roads in 1862. (Click image to enlarge.)

Here’s the GPS track recorded on my Garmin Fenix 6X Pro watch. (Lap flags are two-mile markers.) I parked at the Mill Canyon dinosaur track site for a total riding distance of 18 miles with 1,700 feet elevation gain/loss.

Here’s the GPS track recorded on my Garmin Fenix 6X Pro watch. (Lap flags are two-mile markers.) I parked at the Mill Canyon dinosaur track site for a total riding distance of 18 miles with 1,700 feet elevation gain/loss.

Round Mountain seemingly emerging...

from the floor of Castle Valley, but rather, it’s the valley that’s subsiding around the 700 foot high (210 m) igneous trachyte porphyry stock of Oligocene age.

From left to right, the high La Sal Mountains, Round Mountain, and Porcupine Rim. (Click image to enlarge.)

Learn more about the development of collapsed salt-cored anticlines in the Paradox Basin: Moab salt-intruded anticline, east-central Utah (small PDF download).

Mule deer on the game trail...

behind my place, caught by a trail cam.

Every evening, close to dusk, about a dozen Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) wander across the north side of my property.

Every evening, close to dusk, about a dozen Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) wander across the north side of my property.

This one seems particularly curious about the trail camera.

This one seems particularly curious about the trail camera.

Gemini Bridges Road...

north of Moab, Utah was the objective of exploration today.

View south, towards the LaSal Mountains, with Highway 191 nearly following the Moab fault. The strata on the east (left side) of the fault have been dropped between 2,600 and 3,150 feet (800 to 960 meters) relative to the west (right) side.

View south, towards the LaSal Mountains, with Highway 191 nearly following the Moab fault. The strata on the east (left side) of the fault have been dropped between 2,600 and 3,150 feet (800 to 960 meters) relative to the west (right) side.

The so-called Gooney Bird Rock, an eroded outcrop of Wingate Sandstone (Jurassic).

The so-called Gooney Bird Rock, an eroded outcrop of Wingate Sandstone (Jurassic).

This isolated monolith in the Wingate Sandstone is dubbed “The Bride.”

This isolated monolith in the Wingate Sandstone is dubbed “The Bride.”

Gemini Bridges, side view. The lighter-colored capping sandstone belongs to the Kayenta Formation (Jurassic) with the underlying Wingate Sandstone in which the arches are formed.

Gemini Bridges, side view. The lighter-colored capping sandstone belongs to the Kayenta Formation (Jurassic) with the underlying Wingate Sandstone in which the arches are formed.

View into Bull Canyon showing the densely and parallel-jointed Wingate Sandstone in the distance.

View into Bull Canyon showing the densely and parallel-jointed Wingate Sandstone in the distance.

Gemini Bridges. (Click image to enlarge.) Although these are named “bridges” they are technically natural arches as they do not span a valley of erosion.

Entirely Entrada...

along my bike ride yesterday on the well-named Entrada Bluffs road east of Dewey Bridge, Utah.

Here’s the GPS track, 17 miles with 2,100 feet of elevation gain, starting at Dewey Bridge on the Colorado River, down to the Dolores River, then to the intersection with Top of the World trail, and return.

Here’s the GPS track, 17 miles with 2,100 feet of elevation gain, starting at Dewey Bridge on the Colorado River, down to the Dolores River, then to the intersection with Top of the World trail, and return.

Close-up view of the track which is largely following the Navajo - Entrada contact much of the way.

Close-up view of the track which is largely following the Navajo - Entrada contact much of the way.

The Slickrock Member of the Entrada Formation (Jurassic), consisting of thick crossbed sets reflecting a nearshore dune environment of deposition.

The Slickrock Member of the Entrada Formation (Jurassic), consisting of thick crossbed sets reflecting a nearshore dune environment of deposition.

The crumpled and contorted red beds at the base of this outcrop belong to the Dewey Bridge Member (Jurassic). In the distance are the Book Cliffs with Cretaceous-age sandstones.

The crumpled and contorted red beds at the base of this outcrop belong to the Dewey Bridge Member (Jurassic). In the distance are the Book Cliffs with Cretaceous-age sandstones.

The Dolores River at Roberts Bottom.

The Dolores River at Roberts Bottom.

Various vistas...

from my ride early this afternoon around Castle Valley, Utah. It’s like having a mountain bike park in your backyard!

The gate at the southern city limits, with the Round Mountain plagioclase-rich trachyte porphyry stock in the background. It’s the cathode to Devils Tower’s anode.

The gate at the southern city limits, with the Round Mountain plagioclase-rich trachyte porphyry stock in the background. It’s the cathode to Devils Tower’s anode.

Panorama showing Adobe Mesa (left) to Castleton Tower (right). Here the track is within the strike valley consisting of Moenkopi Formation (Triassic) sandstone and mudstone red beds. (Click image to enlarge.)

Old jeep track with a commanding view of Castleton Tower, which consists of the Wingate Sandstone (Triassic-Jurassic) sitting atop the Chinle Formation (Triassic).

Old jeep track with a commanding view of Castleton Tower, which consists of the Wingate Sandstone (Triassic-Jurassic) sitting atop the Chinle Formation (Triassic).

Panorama showing Castleton Tower and the Rectory (left) to Adobe Mesa (right). My shadow in this image absolutely proves that I was there! (Click image to enlarge.)

I always appreciate a charming ranch gate.

I always appreciate a charming ranch gate.

For the nerds: Here’s the GPS track recorded by my Garmin Fenix 6X Pro watch, superimposed on Google Earth, covering 17 miles and 1,600 feet elevation gain.

For the nerds: Here’s the GPS track recorded by my Garmin Fenix 6X Pro watch, superimposed on Google Earth, covering 17 miles and 1,600 feet elevation gain.

About that radical bike...

you’ve seen in a couple of recent posts: RadRover 5 by Rad Power Bikes.

The brochure shot. (Click image to enlarge.)

Built like a tank, drives like a sports car. Word of advice: Do not ride an electric bicycle of any kind unless you are ready to buy it.

DECEMBER UPDATE: While I very much like the bike, the customer service at Rad Power Bikes leaves a lot to be desired. Buyer beware.

An eMTB exploration of Onion Creek...

was huge fun, especially because of the interesting geology exposed along the way. Read more here:

GEOSIGHTS: THE ONION CREEK SALT DIAPIR, GRAND COUNTY.

Although the sky looks threatening, it was a pleasant and warm day for riding the 10 mile-long road with 1,600 feet of elevation gain. This panoramic image caught where Onion Creek is incising through sandstone beds of the Cutler Formation. (Click image to enlarge.)

Stinking Spring emerging from the gypsum caprock of the Paradox Formation (Pennsylvanian) that constitutes the body of the salt diapir. Note the white bacteria in the spring water.

Stinking Spring emerging from the gypsum caprock of the Paradox Formation (Pennsylvanian) that constitutes the body of the salt diapir. Note the white bacteria in the spring water.

Filamentous sulfur-reducing bacteria living in the discharge of appropriately-named Stinking Spring.

Filamentous sulfur-reducing bacteria living in the discharge of appropriately-named Stinking Spring.

At the head of Onion Creek looking north across the olive-colored gypsum caprock of the Paradox Formation diapir. Red beds in near-right foreground are part of the Cutler Formation (Permian).

At the head of Onion Creek looking north across the olive-colored gypsum caprock of the Paradox Formation diapir. Red beds in near-right foreground are part of the Cutler Formation (Permian).

My road to recovery...

from my full hip replacement surgery just seven weeks ago continues strong! I’ve been out on my bike each of the last four days on various terrains and the pedaling is very therapeutic, but the several falls not so much (the doc doesn’t need to know about that).

Track map from my Garmin Fenix 6x Pro watch for Friday’s ride.

Track map from my Garmin Fenix 6x Pro watch for Friday’s ride.

One of my groundwater monitoring wells in Castle Valley, and my bad ass RadRover 5 eMTB.

One of my groundwater monitoring wells in Castle Valley, and my bad ass RadRover 5 eMTB.

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Yellowstone National Park...

early last week, during my travels south to Utah.

Geothermal steam during a chilly early morning at Norris Geyser Basin, the hottest part of the caldera.

Geothermal steam during a chilly early morning at Norris Geyser Basin, the hottest part of the caldera.

Norris Geyser Basin painted with various colorful heat-tolerant bacteria.

Gibbon Falls (84 feet (26 m) tall).

Gibbon Falls (84 feet (26 m) tall).

So-called Black Pool at West Thumb.

So-called Black Pool at West Thumb.

Fishing Cone on the shore of Yellowstone Lake at West Thumb. Jim Bridger tells a tall tale here: “When he needed a quick meal, Bridger would catch a trout and reel it in slowly, allowing time for it to cook on the line as it passed through the hot…

Fishing Cone on the shore of Yellowstone Lake at West Thumb. Jim Bridger tells a tall tale here: “When he needed a quick meal, Bridger would catch a trout and reel it in slowly, allowing time for it to cook on the line as it passed through the hot water.”

Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin. (Click image to enlarge.)

Elk calf slowly nodding off on the warm ground near a geothermal vent.

Elk calf slowly nodding off on the warm ground near a geothermal vent.

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YNP-two-elk.jpg
Grand Geyser, in the Upper Geyser Basin, fountaining as high as 200 ft (60 m).

Grand Geyser, in the Upper Geyser Basin, fountaining as high as 200 ft (60 m).

Last but not least, Old Faithful.

Last but not least, Old Faithful.

Missing in action...

due to a fractured femoral neck and total hip replacement surgery! I was getting a little too rascally on my new electric mountain bike in early September! Paramedics had to come to my aid and scrape me up off the rocks. Doh.

BEFORE: Finger is pointing to fractured femoral neck on my right hip. Ouch.

BEFORE: Finger is pointing to fractured femoral neck on my right hip. Ouch.

AFTER: Installed titanium prosthetic. Recovery is proceeding exceptionally well!

AFTER: Installed titanium prosthetic. Recovery is proceeding exceptionally well!

UPDATE: My recovery is strong now 28 days post-surgery. I’m more than a bit frustrated by the doc’s limitations but I am taking it slowly and cautiously and doing my own physical therapy. I’ll be back!