Day 24 - Moab

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Our second day in Moab was an extra early start than usual as Todd took everyone to their booked or planned activities, starting with the guys who were going hiking in Arches National Park. As we made our way there, Todd was inspiring us, or maybe just me, with some of his ‘sunrise’ music he liked to play, because as we were making our way to the drop, the sun had started rising to start a brand new day. The music was from a band called ‘Explosions in the Sky’, and it did catch the mood as the sun rose.
When the hikers were dropped off, that just leaves Sumi, Sarah, Becca and me to head a little further out of town to a ranch called Red Cliffs Lodge for some horse riding. We got to Red Cliff a little early, so we waited around in one if it’s waiting areas by its museum of all things Western. On every wall were framed movie posters from famous films, like each john Ford Western to ‘Thelma & Louise’ and ‘My Darling Clementine’.
When it was time for our horse riding to begin Todd left us and we made our way over to the Red Cliffs Corral opposite the main lodge and came across our fellow riders for the morning. After signing in, we were taken through the brief safety instructions, mainly about how to properly mount and ride our horses. This was the first time I’ve ever ridden a horse, so I was a little nervous, but once I was in the saddle, that all disappeared.
Before we were assigned our horses, we were told to get a bandana each, soak it with water and tie it around our necks. This would help us keep cool in the strong sun we would be riding in. We also had a small selection of cowboy hats we could wear, but I decided to bring my Indy hat, so was wearing that instead. One by one, each rider was selected for the most appropriate horse that was available, and I was one of the last to be selected for a horse called Drifter. As you can imagine, he has a reputation for drifting off course, something I was determined to not let happen on this ride.
After everyone was saddled up, and some of the horses have a quick toilet break, we headed off, out of the ranch grounds, under the road that runs out front, then into Castle Creek Canyon. We had 4 tour guides on our ride, and the 4 of us were at the back, so we got to talk to one of them a lot more than the others. The trail was single file and the pace was a slow wonder. The terrain was rocky, bumpy and hilly. There were a few small inclines and declines, which we had to be extra careful with our horses for. Get it wrong and the horse either bumps into the one in front or the rider may fall off.
As we wondered through the canyon, taking in the magnificent views on offer, the whole approach was relaxed, so relaxed I almost felt at home there. On more than one occasion I posed on Drifter and tipped my hat as if I was John Wayne himself about to take on some Indians. It was just adding to my growing belief of being a free spirit, and I loved it.
The whole ride was the whole morning, and as we slowly headed back to base, we actually overran our arranged meet up time with Todd, so once we unsaddled from our horses and said one last goodbye to our horses, we rushed back to the lodge to get in the van and head back into Moab.
I thoroughly enjoyed the horse riding, as it’s my first one; it’s an experience I’ll never forget, and I will definitely never forget Drifter. He was such an easy horse to ride. I felt we were similar in our laid back approach to everything.
And yet the day was still young.
Sarah and I asked Todd to drop us off at the Subway that was about 300 yards away from our site, and right next to the Moab Activity Centre (MAC), and sample what an American Subway is like. Every sub comes with the option of extra pepperoni, an offer I had to take up!
After our superb lunch we headed over to the MAC and signed in. Sadly Becca didn’t join us, she thought she was feeling better, but after the horse riding felt worse, so much so she actually took a cab to hospital in the afternoon.
When the time came, Sarah and I met our fellow riders, in the form of a family of 4, and waited for our Hummer to appear out front. Our tour guide was Mike, a State Trooper first and for most, and in his spare time he volunteers to take people on these Hummer Safaris as they are called. The first 2 miles from the MAC to the starting point off the tour was ok, as it was tarmac, but as soon as we started going off road, and going up and down inclines that were impossible for any other vehicle to attempt, it quickly became clear just how bumpy, and powerful, the ride was. Especially if you were on the added seats on the back like Sarah and me were. Every so often, Mike showed and told us the natural evidence of how Moab and the land around it was actually made through many forms of corrosion of the surrounding valleys. He even showed us real footprints of dinosaurs that have survived over time. It was actually all very fascinating, and insightful. Mike definitely knew his history, and was earning a big tip from me. And we carried on until we reach a ledge overlooking the nearby Colorado river, the same river we saw the previous night at Dead Horse Point.
Here we had a quick break and given a chocolate snack and cold soda each by Mike and a chance for some more photos before Sarah and I swapped with the family and sit in the Hummer, with me in the front with Mike, for the return leg of the tour. I think the ride was less bumpy inside the Hummer – just.

When we returned, it was only early afternoon, so Sarah and I headed back to camp to chill out for some time. Becca was there, hiding in the shade, along with Zoe, who I felt sorry for as she didn’t get to do the horse riding or Hummer tour, or in fact anything, because her hip was still too bad.
Todd soon returned with the hikers, and we heard that Graham fulfilled a bet he lost back home to strip naked in public and have a picture taken somewhere in Arches.
Its Group A’s turn for dinner, but we only prepared it ready to eat much later that night. Before then we were heading back into Arches to Delicate Arch, which was a bit of a hike to, to take in the sunset with some champagne, which I got a little drunk on, having had 4 cups of it.
We had to be quite respectful of everyone else there, and couldn’t spend forever trying to arrange a group photo under Delicate Arch, as everyone else was taking their own pictures of it. Alcohol wasn’t even allowed at the site, which we did very well to conceal until Todd opened the bottle, sending the cork flying in the air and landing far below us. We all hid our heads when that happened expecting loads of heads to turn in our direction in disapprovement.
After another beautiful sunset, we headed back, and I had a slightly drunk conversation with someone about something I can’t even remember.
When we returned, we finished off cooking dinner, then ate it before I headed straight to bed and soon drifted off, before being woken suddenly by screams from Zoe about some bug or something. I just raised my head, but figured it was nothing serious and went back to sleep.

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