Going Home

View from plane.

July 30: 
So I am sitting in the Las Vegas airport, feeling slightly sick from swallowing 6 mini Cinnabon's whole (well, practically), and reflecting on the last two weeks.

It's hard to believe all the amazing sights I saw.  The topography is just so different than anything on the east coast, that every turn is breathtaking.  I can understand why people would just pack up and move out there.  The vastness alone is so freeing.  While driving around, the song "Wide Open Spaces" by the Dixie Chicks came on my iPod and I suddenly got it.  I understood.  Being able to see for hundreds of miles without any buildings in the way.  The freedom in it all.  The slower pace of life.  While in Moab, we frequented the Wake and Bake coffee/ice cream shop and while there, I saw many people walk in and say hi to someone else inside that they knew.  This happened again and again.  Everyone knows everyone.  There is a sense of community.  And when they get together they don't talk about banking or shopping - they talk about interesting new trails they discovered, or their latest rock climbing adventures.  Yes, yes, this could get old after a while, but there is something so delicious and pure about it.  Like a perfect piece of watermelon next to a deluxe French pastry (or six gooey Cinnabons).

I feel so blessed to have made the trip with no accidents, injuries and tons of amazing good times and weather.

July 31: Home again, and going through a bit of culture-shock, per usual.  It is always strange coming home after being in a totally different atmosphere for a while.  However, I went to church today and saw all my girlfriends and we had lunch after and I was really happy.  Everyone said I seemed to be glowing and that the vacation did me good.  (Of course, they could've just said that because I'm actually some semblance of tan for once! lol).  But really, I was thrilled to see everyone and still on a trip-high.  It was, after all, marvelous, and the memory of it will keep me jumping in excitement for a time I'm sure.

On the plane ride from ATL to CLT, I talked the poor man's ears off who was next to me - telling him all about my trip and then about the places I'd been in Europe and about my job back home.  He told me about his family and how they were coming home from scuba diving in Bon Air.  I told him I wasn't sure I could scuba dive...the idea sort of freaks me out.  He said if I like heights (which I do), then I'd be fine because it's sort of like that - you above everything else.

Today I played rummy-cube with Mom, Dad and Brett, then unpacked everything, and tonight I'm going for dinner at my friend Christina's house, then hopefully running.  It will feel so good to run again!

Canyons/mountains.

River views.

Crop circles?  There were so many of them!!

Sunset from the air.

Cedar City, Kanaraville, Kolob Canyon

Yesterday Jarod and I drove from Moab to Cedar City, stopping at Fremont State Park along the way.  We walked along an easy trail there that took us to many rocks with petroglyphs on them.  We finished our drive from there and in the 4.5 hrs total from Moab to Cedar City, were amazed at the change of topography.  The whole way you could see mountains but when you weren't driving on them, you were often driving over a completely flat plain with mountains around it.   Then next thing you know, you're driving in the mountains again.  And the rocks kept changing color.  Red, gray, yellow, and then sandy with green shrubbery.  Here in Cedar City, there are rolling hills/small mountains(?) all around us dotted with many green small trees/bushes.  Its more green than Moab, but still arid.

Anyway, we arrived in Cedar City to CouchSurf with a family here.  They have a really big and beautiful home and were also hosting a family of 4 from China.  It was nice that we came too because Jarod speaks much better English than the Chinese family, so he could help translate.  The mother of the Chinese family made a big Chinese dinner for all 9 of us (the Chinese family of 4 - they have 2 sons - the husband and wife hosts and their 7-year-old daughter, Jarod and me).  The hosts are very nice and gave us some great ideas for hiking today.

I woke up this morning at 7:50 from my phone ringing - it was Jarod telling me that he got himself locked in the sewing room where he was sleeping.  I was sleeping in a bed in the oldest daughter's room because she was out of town. So, I went to try and rescue Jarod, but I couldn't open the door either - it was stuck - so I went up stairs and luckily the wife was awake and she came and opened it.  It took a lot of shoving because apparently the house has shifted some since being built - Jarod and I just didn't want to break anything!  So, we got up and ate and got ready to go to Kanaraville where the husband said there was a great hike through a creek and up some waterfalls in the bottom of a slot canyon.

We got there and immediately noticed how the trail crossed in and out of the creek.  It was really cold water, but I got used to it pretty quickly - though it did make my shoes heavier.  Jarod doesn't take to cold well, and his feet were freezing.

At one point, we were walking the trail right alongside the creek and I heard a rattle slightly behind me to the left.  I ran up the trail a bit more, then stopped to look for Jarod.  He'd heard it to and being behind me, jumped into the creek.  From there, he watched as the five-ish foot rattle snake slithered about and went into some rocks.  We were both freaked, but I think he was more so.  lol  After that, he found a stick and started swishing it back and forth as we walked.  I told him that prob. would just piss one off and make it attack more.  I'm glad they have rattles.  If I hadn't been warned, I might not have gotten out of the way.  As it was, I never actually saw the snake myself.  

I tried to stay in the creek as much as possible after that.  Eventually we came to the first slot canyon (which means a really narrow canyon that has high walls on both sides).  The first waterfall we had to go up had a nice little ladder made from a log with boards nailed to it.  It was fairly simple.  Then we came to an area where a big Mormon youth group were all hanging out.  There were probably fifty kids but they left shortly after we arrived.  We warned the leader about the snake.

Continuing up the canyon, we reached another slot canyon, and the lighting on the red rock and the clear water was a photographers dream.  The second waterfall we had to get over was more tricky.  There was only one slat to step on, and after that you had to hold onto ropes chained to the rock face and step on random logs/rocks to get up.  I don't think I got a photo of it because I had to put my camera in double zip-lock bags inside my backpack because we got pretty wet on that one. 

We probably hiked about two miles or so before turning around and heading back.  It was really so much fun and thanks to the arid weather, my shoes are almost dry already.

When we left Kanarraville, we drove to Kolob Canyon which is part of Zion but not accessible from the part of Zion we were in at the beginning of the trip.  We drove a five mile scenic drive in this northern part of Zion, then did a one mile round trip hike to the top of a mountain with a beautiful view.  It felt right - ending the trip where we began it, and was the perfect peaceful ending to the trip.

Now we are back at our hosts home and are chilling out here until they all get back so we can have leftovers for dinner.  The wife is working and the husband and little girl are helping a neighbor pack up boxes because they are moving soon.

Tomorrow we will leave here at 8:45 and I will fly from Vegas to ATL, then ATL to CLT arriving around midnight.  Fun times in airports I'm sure. :)

At Fremont Indian State Park in UT.

In Kanaraville Falls slot canyon.

Climbing up a waterfall in the slot canyon.

Jarod and Lauren by a waterfall on the Kanaraville trail.

Hanging around ;)

Beautiful.

Jarod on the "trail."

Taking a little break from the freezing water.

At the top of Kolob Canyon in Zion.

Ken's Lake, More Arches

Today Meera and I got up at 6 a.m. and left at 6:30 for the train station in Green River, about an hour away.  It was a beautiful drive with the sunrise lighting up the rocks all around us.  I was also one of the only cars on the road.  When we got to the train station, Meera expected to be able to go and get her seat assignment from the counter, go to the bathroom, etc.  But no could do - the "station" was actually just a platform along the train line in a sleepy little town that had not yet woken up by 7:20.  We went to a gas station to use the restroom and fill up Meera's water, then I left her at the station (which by this time was finally getting a few more arrivals). 

It was 8:30 when I got back to our camp site and Jarod and I washed our clothes and hung them out before leaving for the day.  We decided to go to Ken's Lake as recommended by the Moab Visitor's Center.  It was about 10 miles outside of town and is a reservoir and recreational lake 95 feet deep in the middle.  First we drove up to the top of a waterfall that looked to flow into the lake.  From there we hiked down beside the waterfall which was really beautiful.  After hiking a bit more around the mountain, we drove back down to the lake and swam.  It felt so good to not just wade or fight a current, but really swim.  We also watched some girls paddle boarding which looked like fun.  (That is when you use a board that looks a lot like a surfboard and you stand on it and paddle it along so you can see down into the water around you). 

We left around 1 p.m. and drove back to Moab where we had lunch at Wake and Bake.  My stomach has definitely shrunk since I've been on this trip - I got a panini which came with a delicious looking side salad, and after eating the panini, I couldn't even touch the salad.  Luckily, Jarod ate it for me.  After lunch we drove back to Arches where we saw the last of the major arches - North and South Window arches and Turret Arch.  As we walked around/through them and took photos, a wave of dark sky started rushing quickly toward us.  We hightailed it out of the park trying to get to our campsite before the rain.  Luckily, we made it since all our clothes were out on the line and the tent was open. 

Now we're back at Wake and Bake where I had gelato and we're using the WiFi.  This is our last night in Moab.  Tomorrow and the next night we will CouchSurf with a family in Cedar City, UT (a little less than 3 hours from Vegas).  On Saturday morning we will drive back to Vegas where I'll drop Jarod at the bus station so he can go to LA, return the car, then fly home arriving about midnight. 

On the way to the train station we saw this.

By the waterfall running into Ken's Lake.

Jarod and waterfall.

One of the few places you could actually get in - and it was freezing!

On the other side of this you could look down on the waterfall and the lake and see for miles and miles into the distance.

Hiking around by the waterfall area.

In Ken's Lake.

Jarod being a merman (not to be confused with Morman).

Drying off.

Jumping in North Arch at Arches.

Jarod jumping at Arches.

Jumping in Turret arch over South Arch.

Canyonlands Islands District

After getting ready in leisure, Meera, Jarod and I left for the Island District of Canyonlands, which is much closer then the Needles District.  The sky was still covered in clouds, but we felt sure that after the night before's rain, it wouldn't rain again.  We were wrong.  It rained off and on all day long.  On the bright side, the temperature was between 66 and 70 degrees - about 40 degrees cooler than the day before.  I found that totally incredible.  Despite the gross rain, we did get to see some really cool sights - like the white rimmed canyons around the Green and Colorado Rivers, which converge in Canyonlands.  None of us were too keen on hiking in the rain but luckily most of this part of Canyonlands consisted of overlooks that were only a few yards from the car park area.

We came back around 3:30 p.m. and I dropped Jarod at the grocery store to get some food and Meera and I came to a coffee shop to use the internet which is where we are now.  Tomorrow morning I have to drive Meera to Green River to catch a train at about 8:30 a.m. to Denver, her next destination.  Then Jarod and I need to figure out what to do with ourselves for a few days before Saturday.

Meera posing with Green River gorge behind  her.

Chilling on the side of a canyon.

Meera taking a photo in the Mickey Mouse poncho I loaned her.

Doing a pike over the Green River gorge.

With Jarod.

The three of us trying not to get rained on.

 

Chilling in Moab

We all got up around 8 a.m. and started getting ready for the day.  Meera was going to go get some postcards, but when she started looking for her wallet, she couldn't find it.  Finally, we realized she must have left it atop the car the day before when paying for the camping and then we drove off and someone picked it up.  She was, obviously, upset, and needed to cancel her cards and such, so after playing a little bball with the boys, I dropped Meera off at an internet cafe with some money and Eric, Jarod and I grabbed some grub for lunch before I had to take Eric to the airport to fly back home.  I left Jarod at the cafe which also had internet so he could buy a bus ticket from Las Vegas to LA on the day I fly home. 

The Moab airport was about 30 minutes away, and as we drove, you could see the heat rising from the road - it got to 106 that day.  Just being out in the sunshine felt like needles prickling your skin.  It was crazy hot.  At the "airport" I parked in long-term parking (i.e. a gravel lot right in front of the main building which was free).  I then walked with Eric into what appeared to be a lounge - there were sofas, chairs and a TV with magazines on end tables.  The check in desk was manned by one person, and the security checkpoint led you strait to the outside tarmac.  We asked the guy at the desk how long I could hang out with Eric before he had to go through security - the guy said "well, a while I reckon.  We start boarding about 10 minutes till the plane leaves."  So, we had a little less than an hour to kill.  Then the man said, "Are you Eric" and we were both like "How did you know that?"  He told us he could read minds and mine was saying "When can this jerk get on a plane already?"  haha  But, we figured it out - there were only 2 or 3 people boarding and I guess the others had already checked in.  He said the plane only would have about five passengers and some were coming from somewhere else first. 

We spent the time watching skydiving videos on the TV (which is what the airport is primarily used for).  While we waited, some man came up to us and said, "Are you two going up with her?"  We were totally confused, until we realized he thought we were going to observe the girl who was filling out her paperwork jump out of the plane.  We were like "umm, no." lol 

When it was time to go through security, the man behind the desk actually walked over to us and told us.  I then stood there the entire time until Eric literally walked through the metal detector.  It was pretty ridiculous and definitely my favorite airport ever.  :)

When I drove back to Moab, I met Jarod again at the cafe and then we walked to where Meera was and I used the internet for a while.  When we were all done, we went to the grocery store and bought hotdogs to go with corn we already had to cook on the grills at the campsite.  It was such a yummy dinner - I had two hotdogs and such good corn - even with no butter or salt!  As we finished our dinner, it started to rain.  I took a shower and got ready for bed right before it really started coming down.  Since we were trapped in the tent, I ended up going to sleep right before 10.  I woke up at 6:35, saw the sunrise on some nearby rocks, and went back to sleep until 7.  It was the best night's sleep I've gotten so far. 

Since there weren't really any photos from this day, I included some below that I just got off of Meera's camera.

The three of us on the West Rim Trail in Zion.

The middle part of the Angel's Landing trail in Zion.

Jarod, Eric and me with the rental car in Capitol Reef.

Overlooking Chimney Rock in Capitol Reef.

Posing in a rock in Capitol Reef.

Prairie dogs in Bryce.

Arches National Park

We found a nice campsite in the heart of Moab with free showers and gas grills.  It had nice shade trees and grassy areas and picnic tables.  After setting up, we went to Arches National Park arriving around 6 p.m. at Landscape Arch in the north of the park.  We briskly walked to go see it before briskly walking back and heading for Delicate Arch which is supposed to be amazing at Sunset. 

The hike up to Delicate was strenuous and 1.5 miles each way.  Eric was so worried about missing the sunset that he literally jogged the entire way up.  The rest of us took it a bit easier and I'm glad we did - the sunset went on for another hour after we arrived.  We all got photos inside the arch - along with what seemed like the rest of the world.  It was so amazing standing inside of it though - looking down at canyons on both sides.  It's hard to imagine how big it is until you are standing under it. 

Anyway, we quite enjoyed over an hour of photo taking, talking to strangers, and observing the red rocks.  On the way back down, it was difficult getting Eric to come along he was still taking photos every few feet even as it was getting darker.  Meera and I decided to run part of the way down because of the slope and to beat the dark, so Jarod stayed behind with Eric.  On the way down, a 21 year old Swiss boy was hitting on Meera which was really funny because he thought she was 23 - not 31.  We didn't correct him.

By the time we got back to our camp it was 10 p.m., so we all got ready for bed and had the best showers ever (since we hadn't had them in days and days).   

Jarod, Eric and I took a really cool photo right before bed to celebrate our trip which I will include.

Holding up Landscape Arch with one finger - it's longer than a football field.

Eric, Jarod, Me, Meera by Delicate Arch as sunset.  I am glowing next to them!

Meera and me in Delicate Arch.

Light writing in celebration of our trip - good job Eric on the flashlight work!

Start of Arches and Canyonlands

Atop the mountain in Canyonlands.

Again.

Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil.

In Arches Nat'l Park with Eric.

On the road to Canyonlands.

Lauren and Meera back-bending on the rocks above our campsite in Canyonlands.

Evolution of Man.

On the road again.

Chilling in the sunset of Canyonlands.

On Saturday we drove to Moab, UT to Arches National Park where we saw an overlook of Delicate Arch and stopped at  several pull-outs along the road for some excellent views.  It was really beautiful, but about 102 degrees so getting out of the car was sweltering.  We probably only spent a couple hours there before returning to Moab and getting lunch and some groceries for our trip into the Needles District of Canyonlands.  The drive there was probably about 1.5 hours but we stopped several times for some amazing photographic opportunities.  It's so much fun having Eric with us because his camera is so great.  We have taken a lot of really cool and fun pictures.

When we got to Canyonlands we were a little worried that there would be no campsites available because at all the other parks they are filled by afternoon and it was about 6 p.m.  However, as we got closer, I started to worry less - we hardly passed another soul.  On the way we also stopped at Newspaper Rock which has petroglyphs that represent 2,000 years of ancient history starting in BC and going to about 1300 AD.  Petroglyphs are essentially cave drawings.

The scenery was so gorgeous on our way into Canyonlands' Needles District and with the sun getting lower in the sky, many of the rocks were brilliant red.  We got out and got some great photos in the middle of the empty road. 

Once there, the campsite was practically empty and we got a great little spot with some shady trees and a a giant rock ridge behind us.  After setting up, we climbed up the rocks and the view was breathtaking.  We could see canyons, mountains, "needles," plateaus and plains.  We watched as the sun went down and then got ready for bed at the nearest flush toilet bathrooms, probably about .5 miles away.  Meera went to bed really early because she planned to leave by 6 am to go on an 11 mile hike.  The boys and I opted out of that one.

Jared, Eric and I sat around looking at the brilliance of the stars, finding many more shooting stars and chatting until about 11.  But, amazingly, we woke up at 6:30 am - because when I opened my eyes and saw the sunrise reflecting on the rocks in front of our tent, I couldn't go back to sleep.  I was trying to get Eric's camera out without waking him and Jarod, but Eric woke up and it's probably good because it was on a setting he said I wouldn't have known how to use. lol  So, we got up and took sunrise photos and climbed on the rocks and took a bunch up there, then walked to the bathroom again.  By the time we got back, Jarod woke up and we all had breakfast before going on our own hike.

We chose to climb  to the top of a rock mountain that didn't look too far away, but was probably about 1.5 miles or so each way.  But, since it wasn't an official trail, we had a lot of fun finding our way over all the rocks.  The view from the top was crazy beautiful and we took a bunch of silly photos. 

When we got back to the campsite, we were afraid Meera would already be back and waiting, but she was not so the three of us played charades and laid around until about 12:30 when she made it back.

After she returned, we drove around the park a bit, then headed toward Moab.