Arches and Heading to Zion

we have packed all our stuff... and are headed to Zion!  We spent our last rest day at Arches National Park

The french couple eating an apple on the side of the arch have been immortalized in probably hundreds of photos.  Most people just don't have the balls to sit down for a picnic literally on top of the formation people have just hiked across the desert to photograph.

What a dork.

Super cool lizard that let me get really close to photograph him.  This little guy is a long nosed leopard lizard, or "Gambelia Wislizenii"

It didn't take us quite as long as we thought to get the route that Athena really wanted to do in Indian Creek, but we've done it and are moving on.

Most routes have name plates like this,  seen here with a delicious grapefruit for lunch.

In addition to 'Top Sirloin' on the Second Meat Wall, we did

• Second Meat Wall - Cube Steaks, Tube Steaks Tomorrow, and Meat Machine
• Optimator - Soul Fire (One route... what a lazy day.  It's like we aren't even climbers.  We did climb the first half of Soul Fire three times though, as we got a rope stuck, and then almost lost a cam.  The cam was retrieved in one of the most spectacular saves ever seen.)

At the Second Meat Wall... sunny and windy day.

We will probably stop by lake powell tonight, so we can go swimming tomorrow.  Sort of a long drive but the desert is hot in the summer.  After that Zion, where we have a couple really cool canyoneering type hikes lined up.  We should be just fine, as it seems like canyoneering folks are just really bad climbers.  So... we should do awesome.

Rest Day!

We decided to take a rest day and come into town for... McDonalds! woot.  Also we are off to see some arches in 'Arches National Park'.  The climbing is going well...

• Critics Choice Wall - Bunny Slope and Eds World
• Pistol Whipped Wall - Spaghetti Western, Hand Cannon , and tried Tommy Gun (which was awful).
• Reservoir Wall - Excuse Station, No Excuse, and Pente.  Pente kicked my ass.  Just total destruction.

At the base of Bunny Slope we found that a rattle snake had taken up residence next to all of our stuff.  After carefully moving everything away from the snake (who seemed extremely angry at me for disturbing him) I got a picture of the little guy!

RAWR says the unhappy snake.

The desert continues to bloom!  It's so green.  The cactuses are blooming as well, which is really cool.

We have been staying at the cottonwood creek campground for the last couple days, and will be there till friday or so. It's nice and secluded.

"Sweet ride dude." - Everyone