Adventures in Utah

The fascinating buttes and towers in Monument Valley (Navajo Indian Reservation, AZ USA 11 June 07)
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It was tough to leave the Canyon but once we realised that the sun had really set and that it was now to dark to see anything it was time to go!

We drove into the night, trying to find a place to stay, but for a couple of hours found nothing but desert. Thus we were pretty relieved to find tuba city, a tiny Navajo Indian settlement in the heart of the reservation. A fine welcome at the only hotel for probably 100 miles in any direction and with a room for us was a bit of a relief!

We carried on the next day through Monument Valley, a bizarre collection of huge sandstone columns and buttes rising out of nowhere in the desert. The weird structures continued as we drove eastwards via Mexican Hat (with accompanying cool sombrero type rock formation) to the adventure town of Moab, where we spent three days.

Church Rock (near Moab, Utah 12 June 07)
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Day One was in the Arches National Park, the largest collection of Sandstone Arches in the world. We arrived at the park to an enormous thunderstorm, and driving through sheet lightening without a tree in sight (not many of them in the desert) was a slightly scary experience. The rain held off long enough for us to be able to hike out to Landscape Arch, a structure seeming to defy gravity as a thin sliver of rock the length of a football pitch (and a great spot for a trick photo!) and also a smaller hike up to the viewpoint of Delicate Arch. We drove out through the park as the sun set, lending some awesome shadows and making the rock look as if it was on fire - quite spectacular.

The "Three Gossips" (Arches National Park, Utah 13 June 07)
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The next day was V's first time on a rafting trip - Rob having tasted this kind of adventure before, he sensibly bought with him just sunscreen and water! V's large rucksack of emergency kit (lipsalve, towel, change of clothes etc etc) was luckily stowed in the lunch boat. The Columbia river runs through the Grand Canyon into Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam, it was nice to be able to stick with this river that we have seen quite a lot of in the last couple of weeks! Aside from some small rapids that got the heart beating a bit, it was a gentle trip but still a lot of fun.

Off for a hike in the desert (Arches National Park, Utah 13 June 07)
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We rose at 5am on our last day in Moab, for a mountain biking trip before it got too hot. The Klondike Bluff trail offers a beginner's "slick rock" experience, cycling on some sheer rock faces that I would sometimes struggle to walk up! After the first time over the handlebars each we got the hang of the disc brakes and extreme suspension, and were just beginning to have some serious fun when Rob's bike broke. It was a long walk home in the searing hot desert sun, but it was definitely fun whilst it lasted...

Rob tests the strength of Landscape Arch... a testament to the wonders of perspective! (Arches National Park, Utah 13 June 07)
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Then it was drive drive drive the 1000 miles back to the coast and the start of our surf camp in Santa Cruz. Will be quite nice to see the sea again!

R&V