The One Where We Got There Late

I don't know what it is (maybe the 4 hour drive) about camping in Moab but we always get there after sundown.  It makes it very hard to find an open camp spot and we inevitably end up on the same mesa overlooking the city.  It's a beautiful view in the morning but a little chilly at night.  This trip was no different.  Justin, his dad and I went camping and biking in Moab back in April before it got too hot.  It was our first bike ride of the year so we took it easy and didn't do the big Slick Rock trail.  We hit up the Bar M practice trails which are still really fun.  I even (unknowingly) did part of Dead Man's Loop, yikes!!  I think I surprised myself the most with how well I actually did on that trail.

We also did a short hike out to Corona Arch. 

This arch is famous for being easily accessible for "arch swingers."  People hike to the top basically wearing rock climbing gear and then swing out and through the arch.  It's pretty crazy!  Someone actually died recently on that very arch because they didn't measure the rope correctly.  Ouch!

 *For some reason we didn't take pictures at the Arch so neither of those are mine.  They're from Google.

Sunday morning before we drove home we went to Canyonlands and Justin showed us where he'd been backpacking the month before.  We did a short hike and took some pretty pictures.

The aptly named Canyonlands :)

  Justin and Wes standing on an arch.  Looks totally safe right?

This is the view from below!  There is literally empty space directly below the arch walkway.  Crazy!!  Kinda like the rock bridge Indiana Jones had to cross in the Last Crusade.

 

 Me and Justin on the arch.

I just think this one is cool with the jet flying by.

Justin being silly.  As usual.

A ranger was giving a talk right when we showed up so we learned what all these formations are called.  I already can no longer tell you but it was neat.

Hmmm, this may be the only biking post without pictures of our bikes!

The One where Justin went to Canyonlands

Catching up a little...

Back in March Justin informed me he was going on a long camping trip with a buddy from work- without me.  With.  Out.  Me!!!  How rude.  Haha!!  Really, I'm ok with (and even encourage) this happening every once in a while.  I think you need your own interests, space, time etc. even (or especially) when you're married.  Plus, I got a lot of spring cleaning done that weekend :)

The work buddy is a guy named Pete.  He's actually a former student from Justin's research group and is a professor up in Oregon.  He really loved Utah when he lived here during grad school though and comes back every summer.  He and Justin have a lot of similar interests (hiking and basketball) and get along really well so Pete invited Justin on this 5 day trip to Canyonlands National Park.  I'll admit, I did want to go but I really don't think there would have been room for me.  Not to mention they were really getting into some remote areas.  Read- 4 hours on what could barely be considered a "dirt road" that was just over 30 miles long.  I'm good, thanks!

Justin is actually much better at remembering to take pictures than myself so you can see the rest of his trip through  those.  Not to mention he is actually a really good photographer.  If this whole chemistry PhD thing doesn't work out, I think we'll be ok :)

 Do you see the cut on the side of the mountain in this picture?  That's the "road."

That's why I was totally ok not going :)

Hello photography skills!  Not to mention our camera captures blue skies really well.

 

Gorgeous!!

The first night they camped at the base of Chimney Rock.

And Pete caught a mouse!!

Pete suggested that Justin bring a hat on the trip.  Justin doesn't actually own a hat (he thinks he looks funny in them) but picked this one up at REI.  He was so glad he did!!

Although I'm not sure if Justin liked the hat's ability to keep the sun off his neck or the cool Darth Vader shadow it gave him better :)

Colorado River

 

Chimney Rock

Boys are funny.  They thought it was hilarious that there was this gigantic cairn to mark the trail when it was so obvious where to go.

Ancient Indian artifacts.  The cool thing about these drawings is Justin and Pete knew they were in one of the canyons but not exactly where and they just happened to find them on one of their day hikes.

 

Justin and Pete actually climbed almost to the top of this rock formation.  Justin said he chickened out at the end because it's a pretty difficult last climb to the top.  As in one of those rock climbing moves where you use your hands and feet to climb a crack in the rock and then had to pull yourself up through almost a donut hole.  After I saw the picture below and how far he would have fallen if he hadn't quite made it I'm kinda glad he chickened out!

 

Justin is silly :)

So is Pete!