Utah « the road to experience

We arrived to Arches late in the morning. Blue skies and harsh light adorned the landscape, but I was still taken by it. It is a fairytale land of red rock, carved slowly over time. As the afternoon progressed, clouds moved in: the storm we experienced in Antelope Island seemed to have followed us south. It softened the light and chilled the air, which I didn’t mind. We had reservations to take a hot air balloon ride over Canyonlands in the morning, and it was looking unlikely that the weather was going to be agreeable for that. We pitched our tent in the least likely place to be swept away in the event of a flash flood; which was not level and was positioned over a large, hard, bumpy rock. The view was amazing. The rain began shortly after the sun set and continued through the night. We woke at 4:30 and bundled up to meet up for the hot air balloon ride, which seemed a bit insane. As we drove through the park, we obtained cell service and had a message confirming cancellation of the flight. It was dark, cloudy, and raining. We pulled into the parking lot at panorama point and drank coffee as we waited for the sun to rise. At dawn we headed off to delicate arch in hopes of beating the crowds and seeing it in delicate light. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it there. The road was flooded and more rain was on the menu. The road was passible then, but it didn’t seem to be a good idea. We hiked to sand dune arch and broken arch instead. The rain slacked off and we had an enjoyable hike in soft light and cool, fresh air, scented with sage. The rain picked back up and we went into Moab to get fuel for ourselves and the car. On the way back to camp we noticed the road to delicate arch was officially closed. We tried to take a nap, but our bedding was damp. We agreed that if the rain slacked off, we would pack up camp and stay the night in Moab; and that is exactly what happened. As we headed out of the park, the clouds parted, and you could see the storm brought snow to the peaks of the La Sal mountains. It made me hopeful there would be snow in the San Juans as well.

Antelope Island is the largest island within the Great Salt Lake at 42 square miles. The island lies just minutes from the hustle and bustle of Salt Lake City, but seems a world away; an oasis of wilderness. It captivated me. The light was soft, though often dramatic as it danced through the clouds. Wildlife is abundant here. We saw jackrabbits, coyote, bison, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, and a barn owl during our visit. The salty water of the lake does not support fish, however brine shrimp thrive in it. The shrimp provide food for millions of migratory birds. The lake is gorgeous from a distance. Up close, you can see (and smell) what is left behind from millions of birds feasting on brine shrimp. It’s pretty gross, however we witnessed people swimming in it; to each their own.

Mosquitos also thrive here. They are relentless and I concluded that they must be immune to deet, as it proved useless in repelling them. The netting on our tent was covered with them, just waiting for that zipper to open in the morning, so they could feast again. We experienced our first storm in some time while camping here. Thunder, lightning, wind, rain…the whole shebang. It was quite the storm too, with the tent blowing in on us as we “slept”. We don’t get real storms in Oregon (at least we haven’t experienced any in the Rogue Valley), and I’ve missed them. Experiencing a storm like this, with just a tent for shelter is a humbling experience; you are at the mercy of nature. There is a sense of renewal that comes following a storm; as if everything is fresh and new again.