Secret Hike in a Wash

Day 11 National Park 2010

This is what the inside of my tent looked like, full of sand from the wind.  The wind actually changed the arc of my tent frame.  I have no idea how my tent did not fly away when it was just staked into the sand.  It must have been from invisible help of which I am very grateful to. 

The lip sore from Antelope Canyon is still on it's ways to recovery, looking less green, purple, and bloody.

The stormy wind quieted down.  Sunrise was beautiful to see.  The calm after the storm is quite a thing to experience.  The wind blew all evening into the early morning, so much so that the side of my tent would hit me and wake me up from my sleep.  I did need to pee at night but it was just too windy and unsafe to be out.  The winds blew so strong that I doubted my ability to stand and shut my tent doors.  The wind was nothing to be afraid of but I was scared.  The sheer power and speed was scary. 

Too windy for tent?

This tent pops up and needs a ladder to get into

I enjoyed my morning sunrise walk to the Rangers up the hill to get another night.  I am tired from not getting much peaceful continued rest.  It was good to not have to move sites this morning.  It really saved me the effort of set up and take down energy. 

Park Avenue trail

My day didn’t start until 10:30am.  I did Park Avenue trail and then went out to check out the wall art in Moab.  I met Norma and her family from Salt Lake City, UT.  Her husband looked out for my safety and as I stepped out to look at the art they invited me to join them for their secret hike up a wash.  There are lots of washes up here.  I don’t know my way at all.  It was a pull off at the right across from the camp Recreation across the Colorado River.  We hiked through pools of water and climbed over slabs of rock and crawled under.  It was fun, I felt like a kid again.  Both parents are fun and were showing the kids how to climb, crawl, roll etc…  They were teaching their kids how to live playfully as a kid and not to loose that.  This is a very different perspective in this modern era, a very nice thing to see all in the same time instilling safety, responsibility and informed education of nature, biology.  It was so nice they included me and I had a very fun adventurous time. 

We had the whole place to ourselves.  I saw traces from campers and I realized I would not enjoy being all alone here all by myself backpacking.  I think I would be a bit scared at night. 

There is no sign for this wash, you just have to know where to stop and where to enter, I could not have done this on my own.  I wanted to backpack through a wash and I got to hike in one today, very grateful for this Christian family to fold me in.

Suppose to have dinosaur print here somewhere.  I looked hard, maybe in the wrong place but I did look in the direction the sign pointed to. 

Rock climbing classes are popular in Moab

Petroglyphs, very easy to miss, helps to have others standing on the road looking first to clue in on where to look.  I drove by it three times before I finally knew where to stop.

Then I tried to locate the bear and the hunter petro glyphs but I tried 3 times and just couldn’t find this wall art.  Total Fail!  I went to the dinosaur track but it was way up the mountain.  I also couldn’t find the entrance the Court House Wash Trail to see more petro glyphs and I tried twice.  I ended up at Burger King at 4pm and charged all my electronics again. 



This is right behind my tent site, access is through the ampitheatre.

When I drove up back to camp, the headaches and heaviness came back.  I had trouble driving safely.  I have no idea what is going on.  I sang Samadhabadra’s Song and made it to the Amphitheatre to do the Sklyline Arch hike from the back end to get to the inside of the arch.  I was the only one there.  I laid within the arch and attempted to rest the headache and illness I was swamped in.  I felt after 40 minutes of rest.  The sun and the warm rock felt great.  I felt super healed.  It was a beautiful sight to see.  I am so up high and over looking an entire valley.  It was an easy climb, short and I had the entire place to myself.


Feels very healing to nap on the hot rock underneath the arch, had the entire arch to myself

I returned to camp by 7:15pm and had Burger King Pie with High Mountain tea.  What a nice way to wrap up the day.  I didn’t do laundry.   I have enough clean fresh clothes to not have to.  It’s just that I’ve worn all my favorite pieces already.  It’s down to cotton and linen.  Need to get good rest tonight to do the long drive to Zion National Park.