Heavy hiking and destructive downpours

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Geo: 38.7199, -109.589

It was a difficult slumber last night; with so many people in one confined space, there was lots of movement in the night. At around 2am, it really started to pour, and the rain did get past our weatherproof shelter but fortunately it only rained into sleeping bags and rucksacks and most of our heads remained dry. One girl did get a mini deluge, but a quick shuffle around and she was able to go back to sleep.

The early morning noises from camp woke us, ready for our 5-hour drive to Moab. It was a dull, grey day, but there was thankfully no rain. Hot showers were a real blessing and there was no limit on the amount of time we could stand under the steaming jets for - bliss! I enjoyed seeing the French teenagers with their phones huddled around the three plug sockets in the bathroom like addicts around an opium pipe. Breakfast was a rushed affair; the wet benches meant that we were unable to sit down and we were all tired and ready for a slumber on the long journey ahead. We picked up our luxury passenger at his hotel, who appeared refreshed and revived, but we were all happy to have had such a unusually experience and didn't envy the cost of his restful night!

As we hit the road, we were treated to wide, open spaces. This was faming country with tiny hamlets of two or three houses, closed restaurants and the occasional RV park. The roads were empty. No other cars came towards us, no other cars were behind or in front of us - the road was ours and ours alone. The silence of the day, and the early hour of the morning meant that wildlife abounded all around us. Within the first ten minutes of the journey, we had encountered a herd of pronghorns. One of the fastest land mammals, these elegant creatures have one defence mechanism: speed. Their entire bodies were tensed, ready to run at the first sign of danger. Their eyes were trained on the large, white potential predator stopped by the side of the road, and as we watched, they began to walk nervously away in one long convoy. When we began to crawl forward, they bounded off, leaping as though on springs into the distance.

A short time later, we passed three red tailed hawks resting on the fence posts at the side of the road, and then a herd of deer wandering through the fields. Cows from the farms strolled into the roads in front of us - it was like being back in India - and then we saw the most exciting wildlife of the trip. Jen hit the brakes as we saw a large bird of prey feeding on carrion in the middle of the road. As we neared the bird, it was completely unfazed by our presence, and simply carried on devouring. After a few seconds, it rose from the road and swooped away across the fields. Its size and colouring could mean only one thing. We had just witnessed the feeding and take-off of a Golden Eagle. We were all enraptured as we watched it glide away from us, knowing we had just experienced something few people get to see, and only centimetres away from our van.
The journey continued on through flat scenery, edged by mountains on either side. It was vastly different to the vivid red stone of the previous few days, and was more reminiscent of the Welsh borders. This area of the USA really is a land of contrasts and we have traversed diverse scenery in just a few days. However, after driving for just two more hours, we found ourselves back in the iron-soaked rock of Arches National Park. We drove along steep, narrow roads and turned off towards the scenic rest point at Spotted Wolf Canyon. This was a stunning vista which encompassed red-rimmed mountains on two sides, pine trees springing out of the rock and, snaking down the middle, a winding road that seemed to stretch right over the horizon. We waited here for a while, taking in the entire breathtaking view.

Next stop was another picnic lunch, this time in the state park. This was in a lush green area surrounded by low-lying trees and views of the mountains in the distance. Following our lunch, we piled back into the van and carried on to Arches National Park. The reds were even more vivid in this area and as we journeyed along the road, we could make out bizarre shapes in the rock formations around us. Balanced Rock became visible on the left hand side - a huge boulder, perhaps 10 metres in circumference rested atop a pillar of red rock, while on the left Nefertiti - a vast piece of rock carved over time by the elements to resemble the head of the famous queen, surveyed the landscape around her on the right. This was accompanied by windows in the rock, allowing us to see straight through to the vast plains behind and the famous arches of the park came into view around every bend. Some were large in diameter, some small, some close to the road, others far in the distance.

We soon arrived at the trailhead for Delicate Arch - the most famous symbol in the park and what the Utah licence plate chooses to use as its emblem. This was the most difficult trek of the tour, mostly because the sun emerged from behind the clouds and was beating down on us. Not only that, but this trek was entirely uphill, for 2 miles and there was no marked trail. We had to follow the cairns, which some people had helpfully moved and created their own trail, and the climbing was up sheer rock. It wasn't vertical but it was a really steep gradient and we weren't stopping every 3 minutes to take a photo as the view was rather samey and uninspiring. We knew that the eventual view was going to be incredible, so we just had to keep plodding onwards towards the ultimate goal, despite being exhausted!

However, when we reached the top, we soon forgot the physical exertion we had undergone. The view was magnificent. A huge bowl lay before us, its sides of curved rock, smooth like the inside of a pot. And then, towering over the sandstone recess was the most incredible structure. A huge arch, thinner at one side, around 20 metres high curved into the sky and then down to meet the ground. Its sides had been eroded smooth and its colours shifted in the changing light. Beyond the arch, a line of mountains glowed in the afternoon sunshine. It was stunning. We had group photos, individual photos, landscape-only photos, photos of us doing acrobatic tricks... We simply could not get enough of the place. It was a really ethereal place to be, as though the arch had been made by other beings as a frame for the landscape around it.

We climbed back down to the van jumped inside and headed back to pitch our tents. Just then, the heavens opened. Rain poured from the sky as through it had never rained before and would never stop. The sky had turned black instantly and lightning bolts illuminated the sky. As we drove back towards the campsite, we got to experience this barren land in a way that most travellers never get to see. The rocks turned from red to almost black as the rain bounced off them and soaked into the stone. Waterfalls carved their own rivulets into the rocks, cascading down from the tops of the rocks into the desert. Ranging from a gentle spray washing over the edge, to a multi-streamed torrent cascading down many layers of rocks, this was a stunning landscape created entirely by one rainfall. As we approached the lower levels of the valleys, we saw the Colorado River rushing past the side of the road. The water had turned a dark brown colour and looked for all the world like the river of chocolate in Willy Wonka's factory. It gushed around the river bends, being made deeper and faster by both the rain and the water rushing down the rock faces.

We eventually managed my to navigate the storms and found ourselves in the town of Moab, one of the larger towns in the area. Complete with shops, bars and diners, this was one of the busiest laces we had seen on the trip so far. Arriving at the campsite, we realised that we were going to have to pitch the tents in the rain and cook dinner in the rain. This did not filled with the sense of adventure it had done the night before, but with a sense of frustration. We wanted to camp, it was part of the whole experience we had signed up for, but we really couldn't face the prospect of damp tents and torrential rain when we wanted to move from one space to another. So, we did the only sensible thing we could do. We hooked up with the mother and daughter from Miami (Nani app and Fio) and booked a room with two queen beds. For $99 plus tax, we had the security of a dry room, a hot shower and comfortable, real beds. It was a perfect situation. We did, however, feel guilty for leaving the rest of the group in the lurch, but they wanted to experience the adventure of camping in the rain. We also felt like we were wimping out on the adventure, but we really couldn't face the rain again! Especially after the night in the damp teepee!

We did, however, join our group (friends too by this point) for dinner, a gorgeous Italian pasta combo made by chef Stefano. It was a real team effort and as we cooked, we discussed accents, languages and cultures. It soon became apparent that all British people sound posh to Americans - whenever they try to imitate our accent, they sound like a cross between Joanna Lumley and the Queen. We are all learning smattering a of German, Spanish and Italian and it really is like a little family. It's a great group and we couldn't have wished for better. During dinner, the rain stopped and we began to wonder if we had made the right decision, but knew we had for the simple comfort of a bed!

While Jen and the campers went to pitch their tents in the dark, the softy deserters among us stayed to clean up. As we were doing do, we heard a sudden whoosh of water, and thought that the rain had started again. However, on rushing out from under the pavilion to check on the progress, we realised that it was the river at the edge of the campground. In a matter of seconds, it had gone from a stream to a raging torrent that was flowing violently past us, pulling plants and stones into its strong currents. The water continued to rise as we watched, getting closer and closer to spilling over the edge. Fortunately, the tents had been pitched on the higher ground and we were soon rescued by the gang who took us to our hotel, where we fell gratefully into our soft beds with clean sheets and fluffy pillows and drifted off into a contented, damp-free sleep.

States added: Arkansas

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