MOAB

Edward Abbey wrote of this area in DESERT SOLITAIRE, "Not the work of a cosmic hand, nor sculptured by sand-bearing winds...the arches came into being and continue to come into being through the modest waging action of rainwater, melting snow, frost and ice, aided by gravity.  In color they shade from off-white through, buff, pink, brown and red, tones which also change with the time of day and the moods of the light, the weather, the sky."  This place is awe-inspiring and breathtaking and, in the presence of these arches, spires, the landscape enveloping me, I am humbled.

Our group is 16 stong, women from all over the country, and one woman from Canada (Wellington actually, through which we pedaled last summer on our journey around Lake Ontario).  My anxiety about my ability to pedal this terrain was quelled today.  I felt good, and strong.  We pedaled 42 miles, with a mid-day hike to some of the arches after lunch.  Then it got quite hot, and truthfully, I
do start to wilt a bit with the higher temperatures.

I had my first bad cappuccino of the trip today.  But somehow, that really didn't seem to matter in the larger scheme of things.  Tomorrow we have some major hillage, so perhaps it's time for sleep right now. Thanks friends. Pedal on!