Moab December 2001
(Click the image to see the next)
|
|
Steve and Mike regrouping for the final push up Bull Canyon. We continued up the canyon without lights, determined to preserve our growing night vision to the last. After a point all I could see was the dark mark in the sand left behind by Steve's tire. It's amazing how bumpy and technical even the least challenging dry stream bed can become in the dark. We reached a familiar, overhanging cliff and decided we'd gone as far as we could on two wheels. By this time the stars were everywhere and the sky was crystal clear. The Milky Way was a bright band just above the canyon edge and we watched the arc of a satellite glide silently from wall to wall. Gemini Bridges was visible only as a dark silhouette, outlined by stars, both above and through the window of the arches.
After enjoying the night vision view we pulled out the lights and lit up both the bridges and the surrounding canyon walls. Our own small version of the Pyramids of Giza light show. The night was as pleasant as it could be for December -- perhaps mid-20s, clear and not a breath of wind in the canyon. Most unlike the last time I visited Gemini Bridges, sitting near this same spot in the shade, eating grapes and enjoying a cool canyon breeze in an otherwise 90 degree day. Lights mounted we turned down canyon. Weird, low-angle shadows were still less disconcerting than the darkness had been on the way in and we made good time back to the main road. A climb that, as a descent, had promised a tiring grind back out offered little resistance when the moment actually came. We paused again at the top, lights out, to take in the panorama of stars, galaxies and desert on all sides. Moab casts amazingly little light, even on a moonless night not far from town. Other than the deceptiveness of distances in the dark we had no problem following the road back to the top of our initial climb. We were pleasantly surprised to reach it sooner than we'd expected, other than being faced with the slippery descent. (And Steve's unwanted revisitation from our earlier dinner at Wendy's.) Lights up and with a foot ready to paw for the ground we threaded our way tentatively through the snow and ice flows. In the end the descent was uneventful and we were soon bumping alongside the railroad tracks and rolling back into the parking lot. Can you imagine? I hope so. :-) |
Previous Thumbnails Next