Cortez - Blanding Journey Day 11

We got away from about 9:30 which is a little earlier than normal but had barely hit the road when the rain started. We drove north into Utah state and toward the Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. The first 60 miles were in heavy rain with dark grey clouds and we felt down as these sights should be seen in the sun and a 100 mile drive each way seemed a waste.
In the first town after Utah the state line, we stopped at a small visitor centre. It had a delightful little museum with artefacts from people in the area including old radios, telephones, laundry and many other things. It just held together very nicely for some reason. An old guy behind reception was helpful though very slow, you almost had to wait for the next word to arrive. He gave us some really useful information of the layout of both Parks.
Then, as we approach the Moab, the nearest town, the sun appears. The landscape is beginning to fill with red sandstone in large features. We see a view point around a corner and decide to stop and here we get our first view of an arch. Wilson’s Arch is just next to the road, a large arched opening eroded in the sandstone. The sun is now getting hot and the sky remains fairly clear.
We reach Moab at 12:30 and decide to eat early as there will be nothing in the National Park; Another McDonalds salad.
We had an agenda to spend a couple of hours in Arches then head for Canyonlands but this is seeming ambitious and later gets abandoned when we realise that another 70 miles would be added by visiting canyon lands.
Arches National Park is only a few miles from Moab and we are soon in the park. Here we hit another case of it cannot be described. The sandstone formations are incredible with towers and fins and were erosion has delivered these strange feature the arches themselves. They have originated from water coming down the middle of the rock and gradually eating outward. Frost and wind then open the hole and wear away the bridge leaving these strange arches. The whole place is full of something even stranger than the last one. We followed the lower road to Windows and walked the short distance to double arch and then the other way part of the way toward the North and South windows. The sun which we were worried would disappear is now scorching; the temperature of the car is 110 degrees when we return from a short walk.
We visit many other sites in the park including the higher viewing route for Delicate Arch. About 400m from the car most people stop but we followed a cairn marked route on over the rocks to the edge of a canyon looking across and up to the arch. It is called “delicate” because the arch is now only 1 metre thick and its days are numbers with weather and lightning. This spot is beautiful.
The whole are feels like western adventure land and the last arch we visit, named Sand Dune Arch, reached via a narrow gap in the red stone fins of rock like a secret hideout.
The panoramas are extraordinary and as we left the sun was lowering and a glow developed in the sandstone walls contrasting with the developing shadows.
Having intended a couple of hours we are passing the entrance visitors centre at 18:15, 15 minutes before closure. We have a brief look around and then as we leave, the first rain begins to spot the path and a few minutes later the heavens have opened.
We leave the park, delighted with our luck with timing on the weather and in awe of what we have seen today.
As we wanted to get south again, we were concerned about getting accommodation so we parked next to a hotel and managed to pick up a Wifi connection. We managed to book into the Comfort in at Blanding 75 miles away. We were very pleased with this and went off to eat in Moab.
As we left the restaurant, the rain started and we drove 30 miles in heavy rain. The radio was giving flash flood warnings for the 191 which was exactly where we were. Spectacular lightning flashes lit up the sky. The rain passed for us but the storm continued in the distance and the lighting continued to light up the sky to front and side for most of the journey.
Feeling very pleased with ourselves we arrived at the Comfort Inn and were confronted with overbooking. In spite of our Internet confirmation, all rooms were already full. After some discussion, we were offered a room with a faulty toilet which on inspection just seems to flush slowly but I think we’ll be using the lobby restrooms for more significant toilet activity.
The Internet is cable DSL and I don’t have a modem and can’t face more discussion at reception so this will have to wait till tomorrow for uploading.
Statistics: Miles today: 250 miles; Miles so far: 3,336; Fuel added so far: 161 gals; States: Colorado, Utah; Time Zone: Mountain (UK -7)

Postscript: 2 days after our visit, Wall Arch, an arch at the top end of the park which we did not visit, collapsed overnight. This was the first collapse since 1991.