Curecanti NRA to Black Canyon of the Gunnison N.P. to Moab, Utah

Day 33

We walked the trail along the base of the canyon in the morning.  Apparently there used to be an excursion train that ran through here in the 1930s but now all that's left is the old train bed.  It's an impressive walk and the vertical walls of the canyon are something to marvel at.  With Blue Mesa Dam flooding the river upstream, it's a wonder what the entire area would be like if the BLM had just let things be.

Driving westward, we stopped at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park for a late lunch where Liv almost keeled over from a serious lack of blood sugar and over an abundant amount of heat (roughly 100 degrees in the shade).  The visitor's center, nearly a mile above the river, was very informative and perched right on the canyon's edge.  The walls of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison are nearly 90 degrees to the river and the base of the canyon is only about 40 feet wide (as opposed to the Grand Canyon being at least 300 feet wide).  It's one hell of a place and barely sees any visitors.

Next up was more westward migration to Grand Junction, CO where we got a library fix and a quick rest from the heat.  The drive was scenic but the burning heat was taxing.  Back on the road, we entered Utah and drove through some amazingly desolate country.  Again beautiful with distant canyons and mesas speckling the horizon but still too damn hot.

Driving into Moab, UT, we had an emergency refueling of gas, then took a short drive into Arches National Park.  The setting sun gave the stone walls and arches a fascinating red glow that matched the brake lights of the overly driven tourist road into the park.  

Back in Moab, we found camping at the glorious Slickrock Campground and walked through the town in search of ice cream.  Moab's a nice place plopped in the middle of the desert and has a young adventurer vibe to it that makes everyone too cool to wear shoes.  At the campground I took a midnight dip in the murky pool to try to cool off.  Even though it was well past sundown, the temperature was still around 95 degrees.  

So far, Utah is one overheated place.