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We did almost all our traveling around Moab in Chuck's SUV. This stairway was at the beginning of the trail to the Needles.
'Cryptobiotic soil' is what they call this stuff. Small living plants form a crust - over the soil and prevent erosion. Parks all around Moab have signs - asking hikers not to walk on it, because even gentle footsteps - will kill it, and it takes it decades to rejuvenate.
I got ahead of Chuck and Larry hiking, so I sat down on a rock in cool shade to wait - for them. I soon heard a buzzing sound. It was this rattler, three feet away! - I wonder if he could have bitten me with this hapless lizard already stuffed into his mouth. - I didn't test any such theory, though; I got up promptly! Going, going.... Damned near gone! Note the lizard is now causing a bulge in the - snake's jaw. Since rattlers kill their victims with venom promptly, - the lizard was surely dead before we saw the two of them. - I had sat, by the way, where the three white spots are - (the three small ones in the distance, not the big ones by the snake's mouth). Thursday, October 7: - - Chuck and I took the ranger-led hike through Fiery Furnace this morning. It involved a lot of rock climbing, so we thought it best to not take the camera, and we don't have photos of that. It was hiking among big red rocks. Some places we had to squeeze through tight spots. While we were hiking, Larry did our laundry. The timing of his 'rest day' was perfect! - - We came back, got Larry, had a late lunch, and then took a drive out to the east on Route 128 along the Colorado River, turning south through Castle Valley. We passed Castle Rock and then climbed up into the LaSal Mountains through aspens in brilliant yellows and other trees in red. It was really beautiful. Some of the aspens were many inches in diameter, much thicker than the skinny things we usually have seen. We saw lots of deer, too, and a fox. As we neared the 10,000 foot level we ran into a little snow, and then lots of snow. It completely covered the road! Larry just had to get out and make a snowball! We got back to town just as the sun set.

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