The end of the road: Arches National Park and Moab - Days 70 thru ???

Balanced Rock, Arches National Park
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Josh and I have decided to end our trip in Moab, UT.  We have fallen in love with it here and never ever want to leave.  We will be shipping all our belongings to Utah and you should all come visit us as soon as possible.

Okay, just kidding.  But believe me, if we could, we would stay here forever and never leave.  We LOVE Moab.  We have loved other places, but this is the first place we have contemplated looking for an apartment in.

We first decided to stay in Arches National Park for one night, which would theoretically give us two days to play around and then we'd leave for Canyonlands.  As usual things took longer than expected and Dove desperately needed a shower, so we got back too late to our campsite for the hike we'd hoped for...but by that time we'd already decided to stay another day because, while looking at things to do in the area, we discovered that they offered guides for beginning rock climbing and canyoneering.  Canyoneering is like a hike, but with rocks in your way, and lots of climbing up and down things, oh and rapelling off 100 ft. arches and such.  Sounded like fun!

Our campsite in Arches
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Upon entering the park, we got the last camp site and also were able to sign up for a hike through the Firey Furnace, which involved some scrambeling (ie using hands and feet to get up rocks, some moderate climbing, sliding thru narrow caverns etc).  Fell in love with it immediately and couldn't wait to go canyoneering the next day - did I mention we signed up for that?  At sunset we hiked to Delicate Arch, probably the most popular arch photographed, and with good reason.  At sunset it is gorgous and after the ass kicking hike it took to get there, it needed to be.

Going in to the Firey Furnace
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We got up at the crack of dawn the next day only moderately sore.  When we got to the shop to go canyoneering we met our guide and climing companions, who all knew each other - a family of three and another woman they had gone canyoneering with the day before.  On the day's agenda was a hike to the Sceptor including a tyrillian traverse across the canyon (check the pics if you have no idea what I'm talking about), a 90 ft. rappel into a cavern and then a 100 ft. tandem rappel off an arch.  Okay, so what that means is that Josh was on one side, I was on the other, and we used each others body weight to make sure the rope didn't slide off the arch and then we slid down a rope 100 ft.  Yep.

Where'd she go?
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The hiking portion, climbing up and down rocks and cliffs and sliding and bouldering wasn't too rough but it wasn't too easy.  The traverse to the sceptor proved to be easier mentally than expected, but really really physically challenging as you needed a lot of upper body strength to climb up from where you were dangeling in mid air.  We made it ok, though Dove struggled quite a bit (but I made it!!).  Then we hiked to the first rappel.  Josh went first and did great.  Dove went last and, although she made it to the bottom, it was not done without much  mental trama.  I mean, what sane human slides down a 90 ft rope for no good reason??  So yeah, Dove was a wreck when she got to the bottom, and the best news was that the next rappel was about 100 yards away.

Made it!
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Dove almost chickened out, except that the guide told her that there was no way out of the canyon except the 100 ft drop.  So, hyperventilating and crying (yes, I cried), she slid off the arch and was suspended in air, supported only by her own ability to hold the damn rope.  Once she got over the edge and was suspended, it was all good though (the reality was the first rappel I had held the rope wrong and felt out of control - Josh helped show me how to hold it better for the second rappel and when I realized it worked, I felt fine).  We made it out in one piece :o)

Rocks rock
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Still had two miles to go, but the worst was behind us.  Somewhere along the trip, Dove had asked Josh if maybe possibly they could stay yet another day and go rock climbing.  Who was Josh to argue, and who was this new Dove person who wanted to do all this physical outdoorsy stuff???  We'd scheduled a trip for the next morning.

After our canyoneering trip the family we had been with invited us to use their shower and then to dinner.  They were honestly the coolest people we've met all trip and we spent WAY too much time running our  mouths at dinner.  I think the adreneline was still kicking (so were the drinks we'd had to celebrate after our adventure), but neither of us could shut up at dinner about everything and anything - oy, how embarassing.  Hopefully we'll get an opportunity to enjoy their company again and to hear about all the cool stuff they've got going on.

A tight squeeze
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Next morning we got up super early to break down camp and then to town for breakfast and climbing.  Our guide was great, very patient and taught us a lot.  We had a blast.  Josh went first and was up the first pitch in no time flat.  He had, of course, been rock climbing at a gym before, so this wasn't too new for him.  Dove, unbelievably, made it all the way to the top, and in not too bad of a time - yay!  The second climb was harder, but we both  made it all the way.  The third and fourth climbs Josh did alone - Dove attempted the third but her knee  was almot completely black from numerous falls and brusing, and the last time she slammed her knee against the rock face she knew it was time to call it quits for the day.

The view from up here
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After our climb, we immediatly went out and bought climbing shoes.  We both had so much fun we can't wait to do it again, and we've even amended our trip to ensure we can get at least three more climbs in before we make it home.  Seriously, we're cutting out New Orleans and partying in favor of wilderness and rock climbing - at Dove's requet no less.  Who would have thought!

Leaving Moab we made a quick stop to Canyonlands and then started the drive to Mesa Verde.  We got a hotel because we were sooooo sore and exhausted and crashed by 9pm.  What an awesome week.