Some people call them quivering aspens
Sunday morning, Dalton Springs:
That brown smudge in the grass is a ten year old Carolina Dog called Rusty. Six years ago he was dumped in the Everglades and left to survive which he did, outliving his pack, avoiding being shot or poisoned by farmers fed up with stray dogs hiding in their fields. A rescue group watched him and fed him and eventually the sole survivor surrendered to his rescuers. Three weeks later my elderly Labrador laid down and died. Two weeks after that I took the scared thin rejected dog home wondering what I’d done.
He came out of the grass promptly because he’s not stupid and when he sees us going through our packing routines he knows we’re hitting the road again. He’s not delighted to move as he likes his routines but GANNET2 is his home and he is as devoted to us as we are to him so this is our life, van life and we are all in it together.
We turned left out of our campsite and took to the paved road winding up the Abajo Mountains in the Manti-LaSal National Forest. This area is west of the town of Monticello south of Moab and for us it offers tons of campsites in the wild and above 8,000 feet seeking cooler temperatures. We went down a few muddy rabbit holes looking for a shady camp spot. In National Forests you can take an open road or track, find an open space already used and usually with a fire ring and if you like it you can park for up to 14 days for free just like that. It’s brilliant and unique to the US, mostly west of the Mississippi.
We had a bit of trouble on one track which ended in a deep ditch. Turning around was extremely tight but we kept it slow, we watched the wheels on the edge of the ditches, and we turned our tight front wheel drive van around in no space. Teamwork! We found the spot I had in mind eventually, not very far but an hour’s driving poking in and out of the forest. Rusty was delighted.
The lovely white bark of the aspens is irresistible to assholes with blades. “Puto” is a Spanish insult which seems unnecessary in this lovely spot, but far too many trees were scarred even if the messages are not quite so low.
Last year we wild camped outside the north rim of the Grand Canyon in an Aspen grove and I really enjoyed the trees in the North Kaibab National Forest so this was what I was looking for, a shady camp site in the shade of those leaves. 
Rusty started whining at the side door when we had finished backing into a more or less level spot. This was right for him, grass to roll in, trails carved by cows through the trees. He was off and away.
We weren’t that far from the paved road, and twenty minutes down hill lies the small town of Monticello, groceries gas and farm supplies for sale, so even though we have no cell signal we aren’t in the back of beyond.
I walked out to the road called North Creek Lane and looked down into the dry creek bed. Someone’s dog was on patrol. Hmm. We weren’t alone…oh wait it was Rusty exploring like the wild dog he used to be.
And that’s about it. We parked and set up our Moonshade awning, put out the chairs and made a cup of tea. I like the Moonshade awning because it rolls up like a tent and I can put it away inside the van. The traditional awnings are heavy and are bolted to the roof like a big metal tube and I don’t find them worth the money, around $4000 against the Moonshade’s $300.
This place is like a garden and while I wandered with the camera Rusty was off by himself in the shrubbery. Layne had got an itch to reorganize her pantry.
Our Mexican Starlink has come into its own in this remote fastness. We lost our cellphone signal down the hill and even though we are ringed with trees the satellite signal hasn’t been bad. I enjoy the ability to be on line when I want to be in touch. People are critical of these modern links but these are the same people who wouldn’t dream of living off line at home. This is our home, we aren’t on vacation to get away from it all.
We like this place enough we are planning to stay a third night. Rusty will be happy and he’s an important member of the team.
