Moab Day 4 Dead Horse Point State Park

I"m trying to mix up our days with aiming to different directions that present us with different landscape types.  There was an original itinerary which we are altering a bit, saving a bigger day for the forecasted cooler day, but those cooler days are just not happening.  Dead Horse Point State Park will give us everything but elevation gain.  That is what bothers me most when it is 90 degrees F.  I have been adjusting my food and liquid intake to find that winning combination and I am getting closer.  

For this hike I knew we would be up the whole time, I completed it back in the day. We started up and ended up, the whole while in between we were eyeing across and down.  The trail is cairned the whole way but you don't necessarily look down for the next cairn.

Along the beginning wall at Dead Horse Point, I spotted an opening at ground level that looked too perfect to not be purposeful.  I held my camera down at ground level and did a point and shoot not knowing what the outcome would be, well this is what I got.

                             The Colorado River meanders through the canyon.  

It was another day of pretty clouds, lots of vibrant greenery and those beautiful ugly trees.

At every overlook, we stopped to give it the time deserved.  Those were good times to snack and to refreshen our cool neck ties.  Speaking of necks, the neck leading to each overlook was pretty on its own, and I wondered what was at the end of each.  I realized it was long enough ago that I did this hike, it was like new again.

                              

                                        my destination shot at Shaffer Overlook

                                   feeling like we could fly at Shaffer Overlook

We hiked all overlooks with the last one being the longest at Bighorn Overlook. We made this our dining overlook and this was my view.  Those are the LaSal Mountains left of the Utah Juniper. This was peaceful and private and pretty.

                                      A few of the pot holes contained water.

We made our way back to the main trail which would bring us back to the Visitor Center and the completion of our star shaped hike.

                                     

With this hik now completed, it was time to get on with the balance of our day. We have been so fortunate to have such beautiful days and seeing such gorgeous scenery, I am very thankful for this.