Bluff, Utah, February 20, 2005

Bill Priedhorsky had once again organized his annual winter day hiking trip to the Bluff area to explore more of the beautiful desert canyons, Indian ruins, peaks, towers, and ridges.  Thirty eight intrepid Los Alamos Mountaineers joined him, including me, for an assortment of day hikes.

Our hike for this day took about a dozen of us through Utah's mysterious and awesome "Valley of the Gods," up Lime Canyon, and onto the mesa top for a view through the "Window".  Karl Buckendahl was today's trip leader, and had discovered the "Window"  some years ago.  The day's hike was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done!

The main road through Mexican Hat eventually joins US 191 which goes north to Monticello and Moab, but before this it passes close to the Valley of the Gods. This is a smaller scale version of Monument Valley, with huge isolated red sandstone rocks standing above the level valley floor, remnants of some ancient landscape. The area has a 17 mile dirt road (FR 242) that winds amongst the eerie formations; it is very bumpy and steep in parts but should be passable by normal vehicles in good weather. The western end joins UT 261 shortly before the ascent up Cedar Mesa, while the eastern end starts 9 miles from town and heads north, initially crossing flat, open land and following the course of Lime Creek, a seasonal wash, before turning west towards the buttes and pinnacles.