Adventures in Sandstone

Of course, as expected, this is all about Moab! And, as expected, by me, you are completely enthralled!

We left Wednesday after D's final final (hehe). We both were ready to get going, athough I spent most of that day doing everything except getting ready to go, as a celebration of sorts (did you hear I got an A in anatomy? Yes- I'm still that excited). As a result of said celebration and lack of preperation, I forgot alot of stuff! The most essential item was a sports bra. Really it doesn't sound like that big of a deal. When you plan your entire, very statement making wardrobe around such an essential item, you spend at least 3 hours finding that piece at the one small town that lacks anything resembling an intimates section.You'll even spend more time if the only other option you've got is a very a un-sports-like blue bra. Don't worry though, I found one at the local dollar store-like bargain-mart. In fact I found 2 for the price of 1, with the option for a store membership. I said no to the membership- look at me being frugal.

(Do you know how many words I had to look up in the dictionary in that last paragraph? More that I'd care to admit!)

I also forgot my retainer (big no-no), and my orthotics (I'll admit to looking that word up!). Basically my mouth and feet hurt, which for Donalds benefit gave me plenty to complain about.

The first night we didn't get there until just an hour before dark, and there were no campsites empty. So at like 10PM, after checking every campsite we knew of, we drove out into the middle of the dessert and rolled out or pads and sleeping bags and slept under the stars! Which would've been fine, except just before I got all cozy in my bag, I found a black, shiny spider the size of my palm, just next to my bag! Now if you were at the family party and D told you that it really wasn't as big as I say it was, that is because he didn't see it until after I had bravely killed it myself! Yes it was HUGE, it was at least the size of my palm!

After the wind blew the entire night, and I felt like I had been sandblasted to the MAX, I demanded to be taken out to breakfast (sometimes I've just got to pull rank)! I had a very lovely plate of Eggs Benedict with a mocha and D had something with peppers, I'm pretty sure, but that all probably doesn't surprise you.

We ended up heading out to the camp site where we wanted to stay. It is only like across the street from the bouldering that we were excited to try out. We got lucky, one couple was trying to leave right away, but had payed for the next night already so was looking for someone to reimburse them that next night. We happened to be those people! We set up camp in the cutest little groove of some willow-like bushes and then headed out to climb.

I hate to say that I'm not going to give you a tik-list of all the climbs we did, I know devestating, but I will tell you that D did way more than me!

However, I will tell you this story. When D and I were dating we came down and climbed with some friends during spring break. I did one way fun climb that was pretty hard for me. After we were like, "hey lets get this on a video and show your family!" After that comment, I couldn't do the stupid thing! I have about an hour worth of video of me NOT finishing the climb. Well I did it on this trip!!

On the third day we realized that we had forgotten the potatoes for the tin-foil dinners so we bought potatoes. When we got back to camp we found out that we had also forgotten the hamburger. We didn't get tin-foil dinners, which I love! Actually I love all camping food! We all know that D is an amazing breakfast cook, but you may not know that D is an even more amazing camping breakfast cook. He says that its just because everything tastes better when you're covered in dirt and camping. My opinion- he is just so in his element (covered in dirt, over an open flame, next to rocks to climb) that he cooks ten times better.

One afternoon we went driving out toward Potash. We debated whether it is pronouned pOtash or potAsh. I think that the conclusion was that I was right, again. We drove up a fun canyon and I did my best Travis Pastrana rally car racer impression. Just to break in the new tires properly.

On the last day we went through Arches. We hiked to Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch. Of course I forgot my camera for Landscape Arch, bummer! I decided to hike in my Teva's and now have a pretty awesome blister on the under side of my second toe. We really enjoyed making fun of all the tourists. hehe. At one point we passed some Asian tourists completely hiden from the sun, snapping a picture every three steps, when D leaned over and was like, "I think I belive in stereotypes."

To stereotype further, everyone in Moab is from Colorado! We couldn't believe how many people had Colorado license plates..like all of them did! Also, everyone has a dog and a subaru wagon of some sort or an RV. Those are your only options when you come to Moab: RV with a TV and WiFi or dirt-bag roughing it. Our camp neighbors really topped it all off! They had there cute little RV, Lexus (pulling the RV), spent all their time shopping, and ate out for everymeal. They even had their parrot! That was a little wierd. We'd be sitting in camp and all of a sudden a loud BRAOCK would come out of the RV. An occasional BRAOCK Pretty Bird BRAOCK made us laugh out loud. Later we saw them walking their dog with the parrot on his shoulder. Yep, we enjoyed making fun of the tourists.

While we were at Delicate Arch we had to try to find an infamously rumored rope-burn left on the rock by Dean Potter when he rappeled off the top after free-solo'd the crazy scary left leg of the arch. Looking at the picture, he supposedly climbed the part of the arch closest to us. He got in alot of trouble for that! We're surprised he didn't just die! Off to the left of the arch, is a straight 100 ft. cliff!

I really enjoyed going when we did because there were so many wildflowers blooming! Of course I didn't have my camera for all of them, but heres a few.

The Indian Paitbrushes remind me of my Papa.

I loved the cactus' flowers. There were so many different colors! Red, purple, and yellow!