We had so much fun at Goblin Valley that we definitely didn’t want to leave the area, but we also knew we wouldn’t be able to extend our stay in the campground.  Thankfully Lee learned that there are VAST amounts of BLM land surrounding the State park and we could boondock anywhere we wanted.  We also learned there was a long hike in a canyon close by, which seemed like the perfect thing to do for Deb’s birthday.  Over the years we have been really lucky to celebrate birthdays with our friends and although we rarely plan to be together during those times, it often turns out we are.  It’s pretty easy to make a birthday special on the road.  Cook a nice meal and plan an excursion that works with your friend’s interests.  In Deb’s case that is definitely hiking and the Wild Horse Canyon hike seemed perfect.

First we had to find a place and that turned out to be a little more challenging than expected.  Yes, there are tons and tons of spots in the area, but there were also a surprising number of people boondocking.  We also needed a spot that was big enough for three rigs, and relatively flat, which was a little more challenging.  Ultimately we just started driving down the road out of Goblin Valley and turned left at the first dirt route after the sign that tells you you have left the state park.  Once we were on that road we kept going until we found a spot that would work for us.  In retrospect after exploring the area, I would actually recommend going father on the paved road rather than turning off on the first dirt road. But that’s personal preference, it’s pretty wide open and there are lots of places to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a while Lee got bored and went exploring and found a fantastic hollow back in the rocks.  It was perfect for a campfire at night and we all took our chairs and our portable fire pit up there.  It provided some nice wind break in the evenings and was a really cool vibe.

 

We knew we were staying Saturday and Sunday and weren’t sure which day to do the hike.  Ultimately we decided Sunday would be the best day based on weather, so I took Saturday to make a pot roast dinner for Deb.  Because we were boondocking and I was using the Instant Pot I needed to stay with the rig, so we all took a day to chill and folks did their own thing until dinner time.  What I have found while boondocking is I have to run the generator until the Instant Pot comes to pressure.  Once it starts counting down I turn off the generator and run the rest on our batteries, because while the Instant Pot is a high wattage device, once it’s at pressure it doesn’t use the high wattage continuously, it cycles on and off, so it doesn’t completely kill the batteries. Plus with all that fabulous Utah sun we were making more power than we were using!  Thankfully the pot roast was a big hit and I even had some Ghirardelli brownie mix for desert.  Steve found a candle and we sang Happy birthday to Deb for her birthday under the big sky.  Doesn’t get much better than that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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