Ten Turkeys on Salvation Knoll

It’s been a few weeks now, but I’ve thawed out enough to remember our Thanksgiving weekend camping trip in Cedar Mesa. Located in southeastern Utah, near the Four Corners, Cedar Mesa is known for its concentration of Anasazi ruins. We ventured down for a bit of sightseeing as well as camping, cooking and playing in the desert. The weekend began in earnest only after towing our stuck van out of a pit of soft sand (in the dark – so no photos).

How do you cook a turkey in the desert? We used a ginormous dutch oven, weighing 65 lbs. which we purchased directly at the Maca foundry in Springville, UT. The svelte free-range turkey was nearly lost in the cavernous oven, but it ended up being one of the best turkeys EVER!

One side trip we took was to Moon House, located in McLoyd’s Canyon. It’s a fantastic set of ruins in a fantastic setting.

We also stopped at the Mule Canyon Ruins to see a set of ancient, crumbling towers set up at the head of Mule Canyon. There isn’t much left of these structures.

The highlight of the trip was a visit to House on Fire Ruin located in upper Mule Canyon. It’s no surprise that it’s been well-photographed.

Now we get to the cheeseburger. We selected Salvation Knoll as our destination because of its advantageous location – right next to the road, and its small elevation gain. And as the roadside sign indicates, it has some historic significance.

Despite its small size, Salvation Knoll was a worthy opponent. Steep and crumbly, it took some climbing to get to the summit. Endless views into Arizona and Colorado greeted us, along with a package of tasty burgers.

Success at Salvation Knoll, UT

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