After two days in Moab, my legs were as sore as they had ever been, so I decided to relax for the day. The 20th was the Summer Solstice, and I found out through the grapevine that there was a yoga solstice celebration on the morning of the 21st. Yoga seemed like the perfect thing to do. The plan for the celebration was to do 108 consecutive sun salutations, in the middle of the city park. 108 is somehow an auspicious number in like Buddism and Yoga. The farmers market was going on at the same time, but we just plopped down in the middle of the park anyway. As I expected I was only guy who thought to do this, and shockingly enough I may have had the least amount of underarm hair. Anyway the practice was awesome. After about 20 salutations, you just kind of doze off into a trance and the rest of them flow. It was an awesome experience on top of the fact that it was a pretty good workout.
After Yoga, I did the unthinkable. I went out in the mid-day sun!!!!! It is really funny around here, because everyone acts like when you walk outside during the middle of the day, you will immediately die. Everyone is just overly cautious so some tourist doesn't just hop out of their huge mobile home and think that they can just go for a nature hike across the desert. Anyway, it actually worked out for me, because when I went to go hiking at Arches National Park, there was hardly anyone there. As I made it up to the first arch, Delicate Arch, I met a pretty cool guy about my age, so we decided to hike together for the rest of the day.
On the way up, I saw some amazing Petroglyphs, it was amazing, because I know I have seen those exact one reproduced in history books and definitely in merchandise around here.
My new buddy, Gabe, and I then drove across the park to hike in "Devil's Garden." This may have been some of the most impressive, odd, and downright beautiful landscape I have ever seen. We were just hiking through what they call "fins" which is the earlier form of an arch. Its confusing, but they are beautiful. The hike just let us through these slot canyons and up around and under some amazing sandstone formations. We really wanted to get on top of the largest and thinnest arch, "landscape arch," so we were constantly taking side treks trying to get on top of the right fin. We didn't make it, but we did get close enough for a great view of the arch.
After seeing several arches and getting ourselves into some pretty sticky situations climbing, we decided it was time to hike back. The hike back was awesome, it went for a time in a dry river bed and then it went about 4 miles through the most stereotypical desert. It was beautiful. By far my favorite national park so far. (out of three, HAHA) I could definitely see where much of Edward Abbey's motivation came from.
On the way back from the park, Gabe and I each treated ourselves to a nice bottle of whiskey. Back at the hostel, there were a few other guys looking to have a good time too, so we did. We laughed and drank whiskey dang near all night. I met some really cool guys, and we all had some outrageous stories to tell. It was an awesome night, you wouldn't believe the parties at a hostel in Moab, Utah.
My original plan for today was to leave first thing in the morning, stop by the Grand Canyon, and then head on to LA to hang out with Steven. It turns out that Steven got a good job with the BET Awards, so he is busy all week. I was bummed out about that and I needed to figure out plans fast. The boys at the hostel helped with that. A guys named Ryder, British Andy, and I are going to leave tomorrow and drive to San Fran. Ryder has been hitching for 6 weeks, and he was looking for a ride to Portland. Andy wanted to split gas with me to San Fran, but he couldn't leave until tomorrow. Well since I wasn't going to LA, I figured that I could just spend and extra day in Moab, cause there was no way that I was getting up early and driving, and we could head west. I think we are going to go do some cliff diving today, and that is about as active as my body will let me be. This desert riding/hiking/drinking has exhausted me.
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