Did I mention the cool little trailer the camp host has? Most camp hosts have the biggest, baddest fifth-wheel type trailers, but our host has a little 15 footer, with solar panels. Very clever set up.
Up again before the sun, and more beautiful photos while drinking coffee. We gave our site up to a mom with two kids, and hit the road to Moab.
On the outskirts of town we stopped for our first shower in three days (aaahhh) then went a mile or two to the Spanish Valley Winery. We tasted the whites and reds, and got a bottle of the Gewürztraminer. Not great but OK enough.
We filled up with gas and ice, drove into the park to our campsite, and had lunch.
After a couple hours of rest, Dennis took the truck into Moab for mass, and I went on a three mile, hour long hike to four arches. All alone at the second one, that was my church.
A little reading, writing and drinking wine; Dennis should return around 7 for dinner.
The sand here is the finest, purest red color, the junipers bright green, and I am surrounded by clouds dropping virga, rain that doesn't make it to the ground.
Since Dennis was at mass, I was cooking again.
Dinner was black bean and rice, smoked pulled pork wraps with fresh lime squeezed on them. The appetizer was roasted orange peppers stuffed with blue cheese, bruschetta, and a simple spinach salad with lemon juice squeezed on it.
We toasted the subtle, glowing rock sunset with a Blackstone merlot.
Tomorrow the plan is to do several hikes around arches.
Day 6 cookie count: 12 Trip Total: 72
Up at dawn, coffee, cookies and early on the trail to Delicate Arch.
Because we started early, we almost had the arch all to ourselves; close enough.
The trail up is fun, across a slickrock dome, a sidewalk ledge along a cliff, then around the corner and there she is. Probably the most famous arch in the world.
We had time to sit and admire, then photograph and explore, and as we finally headed down it was like a freeway heading up.
I found another arch, figured the angle and climbed up into it... Sure enough I was rewarded with a really unique view of Delicate Arch.
We stopped at the visitor's center to grab a permit to hike in Fiery Furnace for tomorrow, and had to watch an ecological impact movie (good) which also tried to talk us out of going; then endure five minutes of the ranger telling us why we should not go...
In the end we got the coveted permit. We spent the rest of the day going to every viewpoint and hiking all the trails except for tomorrow's two: Devil's Garden and then the Furnace.
In the afternoon we were sitting in the shade of a juniper, drinking beer, reading and listening to the crows flap overhead. Enough time for me to actually read my latest issue of Rolling Stone, and a copy of the Moab Sun News, and catch up on my writing.
Dennis is cooking the last two nights now, so I am kicking back.
It is funny weather, the first week in April here above 5000 feet: sunny warm, windy cool, overcast cold, sunny hot and still... Layers on, layers off.
Avocado, blue cheese and bacon on bread for appetizer, then spaghetti with meat sauce. We enjoyed Old Moon old vine zinfandel, watched the sun set and Dennis played his guitar.
Day 7 cookie count: 15 Trip Total: 87