As aways a dramatic entry to one of my favourite places. Colorado ironically bills itself as 'the colourful state' although filled with grey mountains, rock and high plains scrubland. Maybe they were thinking of their colourful history. Anyway at the state line the shift into Utah dessert is dramatic. You crest a hill and on the other side is the most desolate, empty and starkly beautiful valley with only the road curving through it. For those early settlers on wagon trains the sight must have been overwhelming. For us we flew down the valley and less than an hour and turned south towards our reunion. The fields on either side of the highway were full of orange mallow, a beautiful welcome. The familiar red rock drop into Moab felt like a homecoming.
We were the first ones there, back in the same complex as last year. We unloaded our gear, got settled then went for one of my favourite walks up Courthouse Wash. No one else around and few footprints. There were signs of big rain earlier this season including minnows in the creek and Herons feeding on them. The weather is hot 31+. A ways upstream we found some shade to rest, unwind from the long journey and appreciate why we came.
We passed fields of these orange mallo
This tiny tree growing at the top of the cliff could be 50 years old
The first Herons and there were hosts of small birds escorting us in and out
When we got back our friends soon arrived and we had a great dinner and time to reconnect. I feel so happy and relaxed to be here.
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