Day 5: Into the inferno

(Return to the first Utah Loop trip post)

Rock Springs WY to Moab UT (631km)


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The hotel in Rock Springs was fine enough but I was happy to get back on the road. Today I was heading to Arches National Park, which many recommendations had endorsed. Actually, my original plans stopped at Salt Lake City but I was now extending the trip 400km southeast to take in these parks. Leaving Rock Springs I took Hwy 191 south to Vernal WY, and then turned east on Hwy 40/64 into Colorado through such eccentric destinations as Dinosaur. Avoiding the fast food (I've so far managed to go my entire life without setting foot in a Burger King) I stopped at a taco truck in Rangely to much laughter as no one spoke English and my Spanish pronunciation was so horrible I had to point out my order. Turns out I wasn't the usual clientele but the burrito was yummy. These are the moments the dirt and Canadian and BC flags stitched my my jacket were a license for fun interactions. The rest of Colorado down Hwy 139 was underwhelming as the romantic desolation I expected crossing the Roan Plateau was in fact rolling hills of shrubbery and agriculture. It only lasted 100km to Loma and then it was only Interstate 70 and a turn West back into Utah. This was a turning point where I truly entered southern desert climate. The 34°C hit me like a brick after starting the day at 10°C and combined with the concrete monotony of the interstate this was the least enjoyable ride of the trip. The 100km felt like 1,000. The saving grace was getting closer to Moab and the middle point of the trip, and the hopeful highlight of sightseeing. I rolled into Moab at 4:30pm and ran into a friend I made through several chance encounters in Yellowstone and we made plans to meet up later that night in Arches Park. I continued on to find camping suitable to the promised beauty of the area and ended up with a beautiful spot right beside the Colorado River with Canyon walls for cover. With the tent claiming my space I headed in to Moab, the nearest town, and for a 4th time accidentally ran into E. and we had dinner together then headed into Arches to watch the sunset at the Upper Delicate Arch. With the sun down we decided to do some nighttime exploring and headed to The Windows and watched the moon rise and desert come to life as the evening chill set in. It was a frigid 28°C and the cicadas and crickets (?) were now out and the daytime silence turned into a cacophony. Settling into the tent that night I could still feel the heat coming off the ground and with the still air felt no relief from the further heat I anticipated tomorrow.






















First sights of the red rock


















Riding back from sunset