Moab in one word: amazeballs. The weather has turned for us and has become a balmy 28 degrees. This did become a temporary setback when we developed heat stroke from the very quick transition to hot weather. Riding on a motorcycle with the wind blowing can be deceiving as it makes you feel cool but in 28 degrees it's not really cooling anything. I started getting chills about 40 miles outside of Moab and by the evening it was clear we both were suffering from it. We turned in early after a healthy sushi meal and had a fitful, feverish sleep but it became a blessing in disguise when we were up early enough to head to Dead Horse Point to see the sun rise over Canyonlands National Park.
The view from Dead Horse Point is definitely in my top three, the others being the view from Kala Pattar in Nepal and the view from Healy Pass in Banff National Park. We got a head start on the crowds and arrived at 7:45, enjoying the serenity of the silence of the desert, which is only interrupted by a soft, calming breeze every now and then. Seeing the vast, canyon laced landscape of Canyonlands made me want to explore more of the park in the future.
That afternoon after a recharging nap we headed into Arches National park, which was a 40 minute drive through winding roads past some of the most surreal rock formations I've ever seen. We hiked the Devils Garden trail, which took us up along sandstone rock ridges that drop off on either side into narrow crevasses below and offered views of some of the natural rock arches that look like a feat of natures engineering. As we were still a little heat stroked we took it easy and didn't push ourselves too hard, choosing to do only half the trail instead of the loop, which was a good call because in the 28 degree heat and the dry desert air it's very easy to become quickly dehydrated. All in all I am in love with Moab and the surrounding area and really want to come back and spend some time here.
Tomorrow we're going to get an early start on the day and try to make it to the Grand Canyon by late afternoon so we can set up camp for our first days of tenting!
The view from Dead Horse Point is definitely in my top three, the others being the view from Kala Pattar in Nepal and the view from Healy Pass in Banff National Park. We got a head start on the crowds and arrived at 7:45, enjoying the serenity of the silence of the desert, which is only interrupted by a soft, calming breeze every now and then. Seeing the vast, canyon laced landscape of Canyonlands made me want to explore more of the park in the future.
That afternoon after a recharging nap we headed into Arches National park, which was a 40 minute drive through winding roads past some of the most surreal rock formations I've ever seen. We hiked the Devils Garden trail, which took us up along sandstone rock ridges that drop off on either side into narrow crevasses below and offered views of some of the natural rock arches that look like a feat of natures engineering. As we were still a little heat stroked we took it easy and didn't push ourselves too hard, choosing to do only half the trail instead of the loop, which was a good call because in the 28 degree heat and the dry desert air it's very easy to become quickly dehydrated. All in all I am in love with Moab and the surrounding area and really want to come back and spend some time here.
Tomorrow we're going to get an early start on the day and try to make it to the Grand Canyon by late afternoon so we can set up camp for our first days of tenting!
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