DAY 36 - Onto Moab

I may have fallen asleep quickly but staying in that state proved problematic.  I think the ground chosen had too much slope in it so I tended to slide forward off my mattress.  Whatever the reason, I kept waking and was up and about well before the call to set off for sunrise.  One benefit was that I saw the stars in all their glory with the Milky Way perfectly visible.  We saw the sun rise and took lots of photos before returning to camp for breakfast where I sampled proper cowboy coffee, brewed in a pot over a fire.  Most welcome it was too!

Returned to the Visitor Centre, we picked up our own transport and left the Valley after stopping at the ‘Forrest Gump’ site for photos. 

As we climbed higher and left the desert behind the country seemed more like the High Plains of Wyoming and the couple of towns we passed through appeared more prosperous.  We arrived at our camp site in Moab after only a couple of hours driving and set up camp before heading out into the Canyonlands National Park.  Fortunately the site had powered pitches so I was able to charge my camera battery whilst we ate lunch. Our hike here took us high up and we were able to see for miles around.  The scenery seemed to be an amalgam of everything seen so far in a sandstone landscape but had its own distinct character.

Doubtless, everyone was still feeling the effects of their night in the desert so all were soon in bed ready to face the rigours of the morning when more strenuous exercise was promised.