Skip to main content

Day 46 - Moab

Today was a maintenance day. I had a list of tasks to complete, like one would at work. I dislike maintenance days but this one was well-timed as I was exhausted from a 15 mile sandy hiking day yesterday, I hadn't showered in a week and felt a bit grimey, I needed a haircut badly, the sheets in the van had accumulated dirt toward the end where I get in and out after sandy trails, my clothes had been only hand-washed for the last three weeks, I had run out of ibuprofen-- an essential drug for swollen muscles, I needed to check on my Cobra health insurance payment, and I needed to call my roommate back home and make sure the Internet was working, and most importantly I had four episodes of Game of Thrones to watch. 

Just like a normal person having a lazy morning, I lingered in bed until noon, moving from laying on my left side to back to right side as aches instructed. All while watching an episode of Game of Thrones (so good) and reading. I finally got motivated and headed to town at noon and completed my task list. Shower at pool, lovely. Haircut, businessman cut as described by barber, refreshing. Laundry, clean. A 550 pill bottle of ibuprofen and a hand brush to clean off dirt purchased and phone calls made, I had a turkey sandwich and fries and drove back to camp for a relaxing, rainy evening. 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Day 170 - JMT Forrester Pass

The mountains had a surreal glow this morning as we climbed up towards the 13,200 foot high Forrester Pass.  One of the wonderful things about the mountains is that they change appearance as the sun changes height, creating a movie-like experience as you walk. I felt so free and happy this morning--just in love with this light.  After sixty minutes of walking, we stopped in the first sunny spot we could find to thaw out and rest. Another hiker came bustling up the trail behind us and stopped at the sunspot to shed a layer of clothing. Sly was a Canadian hiker, just turned 40, who seemed happy to see us. We struck up a conversation about travels and when we pushed off Sly asked if he could join us. We said yes of course. We hiked quickly up the trail, reaching a high plateau with epic alpine views. Selfie time! We skirted around a high alpine lake and then went up a ridge line ever further higher. We were at 12,000+ feet now and the world began to look small y...

Day 62 - Colorado National Monument

Established as a national monument early in 1911, Colorado NM is known for its high canyon "rim road" and sandstone spires of Monument Canyon.  The canyons of west Colorado are pretty--as they have more green trees and shrubs than the more famous Utah canyons. This gives them a more alive feeling, although the sandstone spires were formed many thousands of years ago by erosion.  Rim Rock road curves up the the top of the canyon cliff, goes through several round tunnels and is lined with scenic viewpoints. The best views were in he Monument Canyon section, and included in sequence, the Coke Ovens, The Kissing Couple (behind my head), and the most famous of all: Independence Monument, the tall spire in pic 3 and viewed from the side in pic 4.  The original promoter and caretaker of the park, John Otto, was the first person to climb Independence Monument and now it's a climbing right of passage. Every July 4 climbers ascend and mount an American flag at the summit. Fun! ...

Day 41 - Escalante Coyote Gulch

This one or two night Coyote Gulch hike was an easy test of my newly learned navigation skills.  Anxious to get started I awoke at 545 just as the sun was rising.  I followed an obvious landmark, a tall thin spire called Chimney Rock, northwest to Hurricane Wash (a drainage running into Coyote Gulch).  After a couple of hours of walking up over and around slick rock, I entered the famous Coyote Gulch.  The walls around me raised up, darkened and th water flow increased--like nature hinting at the scenic beauty ahead.  The normally crowded Coyote Gulch was fairly empty on this early Thursday morning, giving the canyon a very peaceful and quiet feeling-- fragile almost. Down steam, I ran into the famous Jacob Hamilton Arch and then thirty minutes further-- the Coyote Natural Birdge. Both were beautiful due to their see through the wall character, but both would be overshadowed in my memory by the Stevens Arch tomorrow. Pics.  By 1pm, I had hiked for six hours...