Show 1 J S r A A. Letter to Midge Dear bear Midget I For varied and unusual scenery scenery see nery Moab cant can't be beat Within With in a radius of 50 miles there Ismore Is Ismore ismore more varied scenery than any other place I 1 haven't been ev everywhere everywhere ev- ev but IVe I've seen enough to be pretty retty sure If it this state state- ment meat To the east of ot Moab are the theLa theLa theLa La Sal mountains In Spanish La Sal means salt Tucked In Inthe Inthe Inthe the folds and valleys of ot this mountain are ranches lakes meadows sparking streams of f fIce Ice cold water and Just beautiful beautiful ful spots I want to tell you about one small place we visited visited visit visit- ed recently It Is la Miners Miner's Basin In the west side of the mountain moun- moun thin tain and on the north end The easiest wa way to get to this spot Is to go u up the river to the Castle Valley VaHey turnoff Through the valley and up the mountain mountainside side via a series of bench roads and switchbacks until we saw a 11 sign which said said Miners Miners Miner's Basin three miles That close we ve remarked What we did not know was that the road climbed about a thousand feet In that distance Is so much to see that the rough steep road Is forgotten as we enjoyed qua qua- kles kies evergreens mountain flower flow flow- er gardens a small sparking stream of water a small lake and breathtaking views of the valley vaHey below I At the end of the three miles was a sign which told to turn left to get to Fowlers Fowler's Camp We did A visit with Mr Fowler Is a worth while white A we well built bunt well groomed alert person with an amazing head of snow white whitehair hair dalr Mr Ma Fowler made his first trip Into the Basin In 1907 For 30 years he has made his home here Last year he stayed until the third of December because the snow was not so deep As he told the history of the Basin we looked around at the above tImberlIne peaks that surround the Basin at the tree the meadows that form the set set- setting ting ling for his home and we know knO why he enjoys living there He told about the boom about 1894 when there were about 4 40 41 cabins with accompanying store postoffice saloon and 1 blacksmith black lack blacksmith smith shop The coo cabin In In which he lives was built In 1893 1899 and Was Wu used for tor the postoffice He lie stated that more money had been put Into the mountain than had been beNt taken out At present he Is doln doing exploratory work After a rest several drinks from the Ice cold stream that runs by the cabin we climbed Into the Jeeps for tor a drive farther up the mountain This time It ItIs ItIs itIs Is a REAL JEEP lEEI ROAD Narrow rocky steep even the short Jeeps have to back up to make the turns The trail ended on a small hillock covered with evergreens and A delightful spot for the lazy one like Uke me to wait walt for the more ambitious to climb the st steep tp slope to above timberline to look for smoky quartz quart crystal How t I enjoyed the waiting time sitting on a rock looking at the mountain grandeur smelling the mountain smells smelts and listening to the mountain noises As we went down the trail trait to Fowlers Fowler's I t was amazed at the road which we had climbed We couldn't have gone up that steep grade gradet We hadn't gone over that narrow road I But we made It down safe sate and sound After Iu luech luch ch cold coM drinks from the stream more visits more scenery viewing we started back to Moab with wonderful memories to store in our memory memory mem memo or ory album A trip long to be red re- remembered re remembered and enjoyed and one that as a must when you come cometo cometo cometo to visit us us Love PEPITA |