Days 5 and 6: Canyonlands and Arches national parks

     Next day, we took off and, in improving weather, continued on the scenic highway to its end, with the great wall of the San Rafael Reef on our left, until we met Interstate 70. The sediments here are distorted into a great wave (or anticline). This was a major barrier to early settlers trekking west, but a narrow river-cut gap was used as a mule trail and now the interstate plunges through it in sweeping curves, dropping rapidly from the plateau to the plain to the east. A turn out at this point provides a dramatic view.

      A quick lunch stop in Green River, a fading former mining town sidelined by the interstate, and we continue on to Moab, a much more pleasant prospect. This is a stopping off point for two national parks and our next resting place, courtesy of Comfort Suites. It’s another tourist oriented town, with a lively centre, and tree lined streets and squares, although the main road, one of the few north south routes in this region, is very busy. We were caught out by a massive tropical downpour soon after we arrived, with lightning, thunder and hail, but braved the weather for a wander, eventually ending up at Twisted Sisters Cafe, where we had one of the best meals on the whole trip - a very friendly little place and much better than the Desert Bistro, which we tried on the second night. As with many American restaurants that aspire to be at the top end (i.e. expensive), this one tries too hard, with too much going on on the plate.

     
      The following morning, we went out to Grand View Point, where you can see the vast inaccessible wilderness of Canyonlands National Park. The Colorado and Green Rivers have carved out their deep valleys, leaving a narrow mesa 1400 feet above, which they call the Island in the Sky. It lived up to its name on this visit, as the valleys filled with cloud and sometimes the depths around us could only be glimpsed. Ian stayed back as Kathleen and I took the 2 mile walk to the end, along open stone ledges, with plunging cliffs to the side. The cloud suddenly dispersed and the vistas appeared.

     Next, it was time for a quick tour of Arches National Park, much more accessible and therefore highly visited, with a scenic drive that tours the more spectacular geology. Here, there are literally dozens of natural arches, water and wind carved, as well as stacks with almost human form, and oddly balanced rocks. We walked to some of them along easy trails, including the routes they call Park Avenue and the Devils Garden trail. (They like biblical references — well, this is still Utah! Others include Fiery Furnace, Tower of Babel, and the Garden of Eden.)