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Published: July 14th 2009
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July 12-13
10:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.
Last night Juan Rambo took us to hunt for the moon up Bootlegger Canyon (about 15 miles outside of Moab). Say what you want to about the red rock countryside, but the night sky out here would blow away even the most ardent urban dweller. The dome of millions of stars stretched infinitely above the black silhouettes of cliffs.
Using cairns, J Rambo led us 440 feet up 'slick stone' in the dark. Wolf spider eyes shined like diamond dust (…or like Edward Cullen/Generalissimo’s QofD) in the beams of our headlamps (thank you, Tommy K. and Scout!). Yunkyard corralled us all together, making sure we kept up.
About a mile and a half in, J Rambo brought us to the Corona Arch (http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/recreation/hiking_trails/corona_arch_trail.html). The Navajo sandstone arch extends more than 100 feet in the air, and is said to be one of the most beautiful in the Moab area. But like all things, seeing it at night begs a unique perspective. It was there we stopped to wait for the moon, stretching out on the slick stone listening to the soft chirps of bats.
Cairns
Finding our way in the dark with cairns. All three of us saw it at the same time, but it was the doubtful Karankawa who announced it, “I think the schizophrenia may have finally set in, but by any chance you see that star moving?”
We all pointed to the same area of the sky and watched a pin prick of light, seemingly at the same distance of the stars, travel from the top of the sky to the horizon.
Do you say shooting star? Too slow—and it zigzagged.
A satellite? Too fast … and it zigzagged.
Airplane? We aren’t stupid.
J Rambo began: “UFO. This one time I was near the Montrose Wataburger (you know the one—it’s in the Bermuda Triangle of Houston) and then this green orb appeared in the sky. My friend saw it at the same time, too. We were both like, wow …”
At one point, one of the headlamps caught the base of the arch and two green eyes glowed in the blackness. “What the?” I can’t help it, when I am around caves I don’t think UFO’s, I think: The Descent, dirty albino creatures with pointy teeth.
Juan Rambo, ever steadfast, waved it off, “It’s just the dog” … or a mountain lion.
As it neared midnight, we had to give up on the moon. At this level of elevation, the moon wasn’t even expected to show itself until at least 11:30. When we ambled back down the trail though (and yes, just once, Juan Rambo did lose the next cairn), a yellow, fat half moon rose behind us lighting every stone, cliff, ridge and canyon.
With day one complete, we drove off past the raptor tracks at Copper Ridge and a pack of coyotes howling on the other side of the Colorado.
J Rambo’s QofD: Do you want some SPAM on that?
Karankawa QofD: Oh, y'all are over there? I thought I was right next to you.
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stars!
I can't imagine the stars you saw....I'm so jealous! My guess for your UFO would be the space station....but it doesn't zig or zag, so....