June 18, 2004
Arches National Park,
Moab, Utah
The Colorado River is the country’s greatest artist! The Grand Canyon may be its most known creation, but the color and formations around Moab should be its most appreciated!
Arches National Park is unworldly. How can I describe the red rock, spires, columns, and striations in a way to do it justice? I saw the famous Delicate Arch and realized that it was so similar to my oil painting I had finished months ago. It was a most unreal feeling that brought tears to my eyes. I felt like I stepped through my painting and into this world, which I must admit is more beautiful. We saw other arches, too…Turret, Broken Bow, and several windows to name a few.
A hike through this red rock desert was surreal. We, Best Friend and I, (Goofball hung out at the campsite) took a trail climbing rocks, sloughing through pinkish sand by cacti and gnarled Pinyon trees. I half expected Wile E. Coyote to fall from a cliff over my head or Road Runner to “beep-beep” me out of his way! We saw jack rabbits and lizards along the trail. It was awesome because the trail began right next to our campsite!
And speaking of our campsite…We have red rock fins and spires all around us! The tent sits upon a bed of pink sand. The tent, with its broken poles, proved to be quite a challenge…like an hour’s worth of challenges to get it together! It was so funny how many times we had to take it apart and start over again and then try to put the stakes in the sand! Oh, the curse words invented this day beneath the desert sun! Needless to say, we had to weigh the tent down with our stuff to keep it from blowing away. And to think this is day one, only the beginning of tent struggles to come in the next week!
But now I am in the blasted campsite underneath stars so close I can touch them. I plan to sleep beneath them tonight on a cot. What a beautiful way to end such a day.
June 19, 2004
Today was an adventurous one! Although I didn’t sleep well last night because of the wind/sand storm (Needless to say sleeping beneath the stars on my cot didn’t happen!) we still rose early to begin our exciting adventure in Moab. And our rigged up tent held up, by the way!
Our first half of the day was spent on a very bumpy, teeth rattling jeep trip through remote parts of Canyonlands National Park. Actually, it wasn’t a jeep, but a Ford Excursion. I cannot figure out how something of that size made it around such tight, cliff-hanging corners. I held my breath and hoped for the best a couple of times. We saw petroglyphs along with fantastic scenery. I never dreamed that the canyon would be so deep! I never thought that the “jeep” would ever stop going down the winding rough road to the bottom (that is, after we finally climbed our way up the top). I saw where the famous scene of Thelma and Louise was filmed. (Not at Grand Canyon, all you film buffs!) It was near Dead Horse Point where the Colorado took an oxbow bend back on itself.
The second half of the day was spent on rafting trip down the Colorado River! Our guide was a cool chick and the rafting was wonderful. I really wish that we hit more rapids but I am now a rafting fan and am ready for more! It was exciting to hear the rush of water just around the bend, knowing that in seconds you would be tossed into that rush and have the water slap you in the face and have your stomach doing flip-flops. Rafting the Grand Canyon has been on the to-do list for me for a while and, at times, when we passed towering red and brown cliffs, I could pretend that I was there already. We had a fun “battle” with the other raft from our expedition by tossing buckets of water on one another. Their group had a dude as their guide. He was cute and a little strange. I think I had a crush on him. But was it the thrill of the rapids or really him? Who knows and who cares?! I caught him giving me the eye on the bus back to Moab. Best Friend saw it, too. He gave out popsicles back in Moab and I asked him for a red one just because I knew he would give me one despite the fact that he had already given me an orange one and really wasn’t asking anyone which flavor they wanted. What can I say? The rush of an adventure leaves you acting and thinking silly things! Plus I really do like cherry flavor best! Oh yeah, and I am a brat that likes to get my way. Anyway, I know that rafting is something I really love now and I can see how Best Friend wants to be a “river rat”. Goofball liked the rafting, too, but not as much as her favorite arch that she refers to as “Turd,” though it is really called Turret. (Does Turret and Turd really sound that similar, Goofball?) And why does she keep talking about that thing anyway?
Among the other funny things that happened today…We lost our Park Pass and the keys to the Rodeo. One by one we found all we lost. But the recovery of the Park Pass was not easy. It fell behind the dashboard and after tearing the dash apart, we recovered it. But not before buying the wrong size screwdriver to take it apart with. How did we have fun today???
I don’t know, but it was a blast! After returning back to Arches we visited the petroglyphs at Wolfe Ranch. They are some of the more famous ones (thanks to their good preservation) that I really was looking forward to seeing. I had seen numerous photos of them and couldn’t wait to take my own. We are now relaxing at camp. Goofball is talking uncontrollably and making me laugh. (Of course, about “Turd” Arch again, among other crazy things no one else needs to know!) It’s time to clean up for rest now. Tomorrow morning we leave and make home elsewhere.
Our campsite, the blasted tent, and our Goofball just lounging around camp while she waited for Best Friend and I to return from our hike.
The trail next to our camp lead us through this arch and many others. See the tiny trail sign? They are a rare and welcomesight! Much easier to follow than those rock cairns!
A most spectacular Arches N.P. view. There's famous Delicate Arch in the distance. This is like a distant image of an oil painting I created before the trip.
The much discussed Turret Arch, a.k.a. Turd Arch for our dear Goofball, after misunderstanding the name when pronounced by
Best Friend. It's okay; I think she's had her ears checked since then.
A typical scene of beauty at Arches right before sundown. This shot was taken while I was standing inside an arch that I had climbed up into.
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