Canyonlands National Park, Utah

June 16, 2010 - Driving a scenic Colorado River canyon drive, on Hwy 70 to the 128, we arrive Canyonlands National Park, in the heart of the majestic Colorado Plateau.  Super stoked to see endless blue sky upon arrival and getting the last campsite of the area, our high was short lived after realizing the wind would not die down.  Arriving the Willow Flat camp, winds were strong, around 30 mph and not letting up for the entire day and most of the night.  We quickly settled the tent in between trees and used the bike as a buffer behind the tent.  The wind was too strong to hike so we took it easy for the day, although easy it wasn't.  We stuck it out, with a high desert sandstorm blasting the tent and lifting it like a sail for 13 plus hours (we got there around 10 am with the wind going strong til midnight), as well as leaving sand dunes everywhere possible in the tent and grit in our teeth and eyes.  I guess we were too propelled to stay thinking it would die down sooner, but it didn't.  We even took pity on a Mercedes RV with German plates called the Silver Dream that didn't have a camping spot and let the RV park in our space; only to be jealous of the Silver Dream as we wished for the warm and windless splendor our fellow German was enjoying in his swivel captain's chair.  He did however take pity on Charlie and gifted him a Budweiser.  Dude, he should have let us in his RV!

The follwing morning the wind stopped and we decided to head out one day early from the planned 2 nights at Canyonlands just so we could recuperate from our awful night.  After clearing as much sand from our bodies, tent, sleeping bag and etc, we tour Canyonlands on this beautiful, bright-skied day.  Canyonlands was truly unreal, with the eroded lanscape forming crazy canyons, mesas and buttes, and the Green & Colorado Rivers cutting it through.  Never had we seen such beauty spread so wide.  We then head out to the nearby city of Moab, 30 miles out where we treated ourselves to a motel and a day tour of Arches National Park.

In awe of the canyons, mesas and buttes for days and days

Aww.

Charlie trying to look like cool motorcycle guy on the cliff edge, but blowing his cover with his flip flops.

Loving the desert ecosystem.

Perspective view, how tiny we are against this vast landscape.

Green River cutting through the canyons.

Campground at Willow Flat.  Our tent hiding amongst the trees for wind protection.

View from the edge of Island in the Sky.

This little guy, all camo'd out in his terrain.