Julia is reading “The End of Night” by Paul Bogard, which is
described as a hymn to vanished darkness. Between the full moon at
Bryce, light pollution at rv parks, and cloudy nights, she hasn’t had
much success in viewing the Milky Way.
After
leaving Moab, we went to Dead Horse State Park, which is about 45
minutes west of Moab and next to Canyonlands National Park.
This area is supposed to be a great spot for looking at darkness.
Unfortunately, even though it was clear for most of the day, clouds
moved in at sunset, leaving no stars to be seen. Then when Julia got up
before sunrise, the half-moon spoiled the view.
Fortunately, the trails and daytime sights at Dead Horse State Park
made up for the lack of true darkness. We hiked the East and West Rim
Trails, along with a few shorter side trails.
This morning, we were off to points south. My plan was to take Julia
to Navajo National Monument, but she opted for someplace new. We ended
up at Monument Valley in the Navajo Nation. We were going to stay at
the View Campground, but no dogs were allowed. Instead, we went to
Goulding’s Campground. Julia appreciated the hot showers and electrical
hookups. It’s been getting colder, and my $15 ceramic heater has been
keeping us toasty when we have electric. Solar doesn’t work for
producing heat–at least not my 100 watt suitcase solar kit.
I had low expectations for Monument Valley, especially after the $20
entrance fee, but it was a very beautiful place. We drove part of the
gravel loop road before deciding that was enough potholes for one day.
Then we hiked the Wildcat Trail (about 4 miles looping around West
Mitten). Despite the crowded parking lot and visitors’ center, we saw
only a couple of hikers past the first mile. It turned into a great
afternoon.
Julia
has one more chance for dark skies before we return to Vegas for her
very early morning flight on Sunday. We have no reservations but will
making our way west.
