Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

After a bit of a slow morning we head into the park. Today we’re motorcycling up the Mt. Carmel Highway through the park. We zig zag up the switchbacks, affording a great view of the Grand Arch, and are soon at the 1.1 mile long tunnel. With no one behind us it’s a great opportunity to putter along and peek out the “Windows” into the valley. We’ve never ridden through a tunnel that long – very cool!

On the other side we continue on for a few miles, seeing what there is to see. This side of the valley feels completely different – more like the desert we expected. Eventually we U-turn and then stop for a few pictures, scrambling up a rock face.

Back down the road, we stop just before the tunnel to hike up to Canyon Overlook. We are sitting just over the Grand Arch, looking down into the valley. What a fabulous sight!

It’s lunch time, so we get in line for the tunnel and head back down, through the valley and into town for gas and to split a sandwich. Ashley checks out the menu at MeMe’s Cafe while I fill the tank and we dcide to go on to Cafe Soleil. Delicious sandwich! After eating we check out a couple of shops and then catch the shuttle in to the Hidden Canyon trail.

I wouldn’t say that it’s hard to find, but the trail is fairly steep and often quite narrow. Like Angels Landing there are a few times where a chain is bolted into the cliff face with sheer drops a foot or two behind us.

The Canyon is narrow, no more than 20′ wide, and we are very much walking up a dry creek bed. It’s filled with sand and boulders and bordred by vibrant green trees. The sand makes everything slippery and we have to scramble up rocks a few times. About 1/4 mile back we find a cute freestanding arch and a huge chunk of stone that looks like a sunken ship. We turn around at a particularly challenging rock scramble and head back down the trail to catch the shuttle.

While waiting for it to arrive, Ashley pours a sand dune out of each of her shoes. They didn’t work nearly as well nor were they as comfortable as our boots, which are still drying up on the RV’s roof.

When we return to the Visitors  Center it’s already closed so we mosey on home. We load up the motorcycle and then reassemble the awning. The wind gusts today pulled one arm apart. Tried leaving it set up, as low as possible, so to help keep the fridge cool. Won’t do that again!

Tomorrow we are heading along to the northern portion of the park to hike in and see the Kolob Arch.
We’re both hungry, have been all day. I scramble up a huge pile of potatoes, onions, sausage, and eggs. We eat and eat and are finally full.