Finally i am camped under the stars. Last night went later than planned, dinner at 10 pm with Eric, a friend of d=rt and Zach. We began the day by taking the rental car back at 8. Then after getting a permit and breakfast, we were on the trail by 1 pm. Thanks to Eric and his wife for putting up with us for the night and taking us to the trail.
We started by hiking through Arches, past some amazing rock features. So amazing. We were quickly off trail though, following a natural gas pipeline through open sage brush land. This country is desolate and the feeling of isolation comes quickly once you leave the main highway. I found coyote scat several times in this section. It really felt great to have something else to look for, and i look forward to finding more en route. Of course that means carrying poop for days on end, but it does give me some more purpose for this trip.
We dropped in to Courthouse Wash this afternoon and found amazing, crystal clear water. I treated it, but only because there was cow poop right by the source. It tastes great though, and i am constantly reminding myself to not take any water source for granted, soon we may be drinking out of standing pools of water.
The wash is beautiful though, there are walls on both sides, probably 200-500 feet high. We walked in the stream for miles, sinking in deep quicksand from time to time. The biggest threat is losing a shoe, no laughing matter, but with tightly laced shoes, it can be fun to play in a little bit!
I have thought about Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire a lot today. This backcountry of Arches is what he often spoke of. It is quiet, peaceful, and everything is trying to kill you, sharp thorns, cactus, snakes. If it doesn’t kill you, it will make you suffer. Cold nights, hot days, no water, and the sand has a way of getting into everything!
Tomorrow we will be in Moab for a quick re-supply. We then will immerse ourselves into some of the most remote sections of this trip. Yeehaw!
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