Day 9, May 21

DAY 9, MAY 21

1. Put the tent away, packed the van and left Moab. First stop was Wilson Arch just south of Moab. It was several hundred feet up from the roadway and looked fairly climbable, so I climbed to the base of the large arch. Several other people with a dog also climbed up behind me -- so I got my picture taken there.

2. Drove into the Needles Area of Canyonlands NP, about 50 miles in from the highway. Lots of amazing views there. The winds were very gusty so didn't get too close to the edges. Campgrounds there were full also. This was one of the areas that I was looking down at when I was at Island in the Sky overlook 2 days ago.

3. The prediction was for high winds with gusts over 60mph in the Mesa Verde area so I thought pitching a tent was not a good idea. Instead I opted for a small motel in Cortez, Colorado about 10 miles from Mesa Verde. I'll drive up in the morning and see what develops from there.