XR650R Dual Sport Project & Travels

La Sal Mountain Loop - 2004

The La Sal Mountain Loop is scenic, providing good overlooks of Castle Valley and portions of the Onion Creek, Rose Garden Hill, and Thompson Canyon trails in Fisher Valley, as well as their flanking mesas and other vistas.  These photos were taken while scouting the area in my truck.  For directions visit the report written by Mr. Fred Hink of Arrowhead Motorsports.  Mr. Hink was a valuable source of information and the first person I visited after arriving in Moab.

The La Sal Mountains are known as "lacoliths", formed about 25 to 28 million years ago by upward intrusion of magma into originally flat-lying sedimentary layers, thus creating huge blisters.  Lacoliths become mountains after the overlying soft rock erodes away.  The Henry Mountains to the West, and Abajo Mountains to the South, were formed at about the same time and are also lacoliths.

Near the beginning of the Southern end of the La Sal Loop road approaching the mountains.	Several views of the La Sal Mountain Loop road.		A view of Castle Valley showing Parriot Mesa, Castleton Tower, the Priest and Nuns, and Adobe Mesa from left to right.
Fisher Valley from Castleton Gateway Road.  The rock formation (arrow) figures into some of my rides.  See the next frame for details.	Approximate path of the end of Onion Creek road (blue) which by this time has become Fisher Valley Road.  Cottonwood Canyon Trail branches off behind the rock, leading to Rose Garden Hill in the vicinity of the yellow line.  The lower Thompson Canyon Trail starts here and circles behind the hills to the right (green).  I'm facing North.	Facing East on Castleton Gateway Road.  The upper end of Polar Mesa Trail, which leads to Thompson Canyon Trail, is down this road.	That's me.  Like my hat?
Heading down Castle Valley Road on the way back to town.	Another view of Castleton Tower and the Priest and Nuns.	Close up of the South end of Parriot Mesa.	See the priest?  See the nuns?
Part of a resort along Hwy 128.  Be a Root'n-Toot'n cowboy.  Yeeee! Haaa!  Oh....and don't forget the wine tasting session!		Day's end along the Colorado River, on Hwy 128 near Moab.