Fisher Towers

March 23, 2021

Rachael has a phone consultation with her physician this morning, so I head over to the coffee shop to give her some privacy. It’s cold, windy, and lightly misting when I step out the door of our motel room. I sit outside the coffee shop nursing my drink and a knowing on a bagel until Rachael calls to give me the all clear signal before heading off to the nearest bakery to pick up a slice of carrot cake - it’s her birthday, and she’s lining up her favorite dessert to enjoy this evening.

We’ve had a spell of great cycling weather here in Moab, but it looks like it’s about run it’s course. The next several days all look cool and windy, and then we move on for four days in Torrey which will be even colder. After that we start the long drive back to Portland, so it’s not clear how much more biking will happen before we close out this chapter of our vagabond lives next week.

Certainly none will happen today. It’s Rachael’s day she gets to set the agenda, and she casts the deciding vote against biking in the cold and wind. Fortunately there are plenty of great walks around to choose from. I suggest hiking the Fisher Towers Trail, and she approves. It’s only about a five mile round trip and trip reports don’t make it sound particularly challenging, so we’ll give it a try. We hop in the Raven, drive east up 128 for about 20 miles, and then after bouncing two miles up a steepish washboard dirt road we park the car and start walking.

Right from the start it’s apparent that this is a bit more than a walk in the park. It’s nothing like yesterday’s Devils Garden hike, but it does have its challenges. It’s a rocky trail, following the contours along the base of the towers, and steadily rises until finally topping out and dead ending at a ridge-top promontory surrounded by cliffs. For a short hike there’s quite a bit of climbing and descent. By the time we make it back to the car my knees have had enough. Rachael gets back well before me, and by the time I get there myself I’m feeling a bit badly about being such a plod on her special day. Cold and windy or not, I think I need a break from hiking for the next day or two.

An amazing hike though. The bouquet of red sandstone towers soar vertically above us to improbable heights - the tallest of them, the Titan, has a prominence of 700 feet and is reputed to be the tallest free standing natural tower in the country. The other landscape views are exceptional too, especially from the top where you can look upriver along the Colorado or south into the wilderness surrounding the La Sal Mountains. For me though, almost as remarkable are the colors. Everything is so green! There are so many shades in the varied vegetation, and it seems to impart its color to everything. The bark of dead juniper takes an aqua cast, as do bands in the sandstone, as does Rachael’s hair; and even a golden haired dog we pass on the trail looks greenish. It must just be a trick of the light because the photos don’t show this; but it definitely gives the day a magical aura.

It’s Rachael’s day, so we’ll let her show us the way.

There’s a bit of tricky footing today, but after yesterday it seems like nothing to be anxious about.

Looking back toward the river after rounding the base of the first of the towers.

Looking east toward the formations of Castle Valley.

The view north across Onion Creek valley toward the Colorado. This is the landscape we biked through on Route 128 a few days back.

On the Fisher Towers Trail. There’s plenty here to bring a smile to one’s face, alright.

Beneath the soaring cliffs of Fisher Towers.

It’s a bit tricky descending this ladder. Not sure if that’s a grin or a grimace she’s sporting.

Zooming in on Castleton Tower, hemming in Castle Valley.

The whole complex. Titan, the tallest free standing natural tower in the country, is on the right.

From the top, looking back up the Colorado canyon. That nearly straight open run of the river is the spot from which I zoomed in on the towers a few days ago.

Looking south from the summit. Out there somewhere would be the La Sals, if we could see them. It looks like it must be snowing out there, and a few flakes are even falling around us. Too cold and windy to stay for long.

Heading back. I manage to get a few shots of the Birthday Girl before she disappears around a bend.

Still descending, and keeping a much better pace than I am.

It doesn’t show it here, but the juniper bark had a definite blue-green cast.

As did the face of the large Boulder in the foreground, as well as the light veins in the cliffs.

Here’s that last bend I was talking about. I won’t see her again until I limp back to the car.

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Hiking stats today: 5.3 miles, 1,500’

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Kelly IniguezHappy birthday, Rachael! What was for dinner, besides carrot cake?
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3 years ago

Kathleen ClassenHappy Birthday Rachael! Enjoy the carrot cake and hopefully a suitable beverage to go with it.
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3 years ago

Rachael AndersonTo Kathleen ClassenThanks. The carrot cake was great but I just had water but I had some great pizza before.
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3 years ago

Rachael AndersonTo Kelly IniguezPizza!
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3 years ago

Suzanne GibsonHappy Birthday, Rocky!
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3 years ago

Rachael AndersonThank you. It was a great day!
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3 years ago

Susan CarpenterHappy Belated Birthday Rachael - a hike among towering red spires, pizza and carrot cake seem like a super birthday combo!
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3 years ago

Rachael AndersonTo Susan CarpenterThanks. It was great!
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3 years ago