Day 5: Snow on the Pass, Surfers on a Wave, and Moab at Last

The Crew
By Dublin & Chester · Oct 25, 2026 · 4 min read
#southwest trip #colorado #monarch pass #utah #moab #dublin #chester

Day five of the Southwest loop, Salida, Colorado to Moab, Utah, 279.19 miles planned, rolling out at 8:00 in the morning. The day of the pass.

Dublin's Report

The whole day turned on Monarch Pass. We left Salida in the morning and climbed toward a pass that had snow and ice on it, snow-packed spots, and plows still working. A seasonal traction law was in effect. Here is the part that matters: we carry no chains, and we never will, so the pass had to be passable without them or we would have waited it out to Monday. Wayne checked, the road was open, and we crossed on Sunday as planned, careful and steady, with the Monday fallback left unused. That is how a pass should be treated: with respect, and with a backup day in your pocket.

After the pass, the day loosened up. At 10:48 in the morning we stopped where people were surfing a standing wave in a waterfall area, filming it because none of us had seen anything quite like it. Somebody, somewhere, had to come up with that idea first, and I would like to shake their hand. At 12:55 we made a quick stop at West Tamache River Park, one or two pictures, and kept rolling.

Moab was waiting under a flood watch, with a flood warning in the morning until 10 AM and the watch running until midnight, so we paid attention to the sky and the washes the way you do in canyon country. We ended the day at Utahraptor State Park, site 112, our Moab base. Red rock all around, dogs on beds, humans planning the next day. Day five, done, and the pass is behind us.

Dublin's road wisdom: A pass does not care about your schedule. Check it, respect it, and always keep a fallback day.

Chester's Report

DAY FIVE. THE PASS DAY. Monarch Pass had SNOW on it, and plows, and ice, and a whole traction law situation, and we do not even carry chains because we do not do chains, ever. So the deal was: if the pass was not good enough, we waited until Monday. But Wayne checked and it was open and we crossed it on Sunday, slow and careful, and I watched the snow go by the window like, whoa, we are doing a mountain in SNOW. Then it was behind us and I was very brave the entire time. Extremely brave. Ask Dublin. He will deny it, but I was brave.

Then the weird wonderful part: humans SURFING a waterfall. Not the ocean. A river wave that just stands there while people surf on it, and we filmed it at 10:48 because you have to film that, it is the law. Then a quick stop at a river park at 12:55, one or two pictures, very efficient, very professional.

Moab! Flood watch and everything, but we made it to Utahraptor State Park, site 112, red rocks everywhere, and I ran around like Moab was personally waiting for me. It was. Day five, done. Tomorrow we do Arches and I am already ready.