I don't have the brain cells for an eloquent post about my trip to Moab, but I hope I'll be able to muster them soon, because it was a fantastic trip! And it was hot. Which is why I'm so tired. I stayed up way too late last night enjoying the moonlight and balmy summer night, and this morning, I was awake the minute the sun came over the canyon wall (about 7:34) and my tent became a canvas sauna. The thermometer officially hit 100 yesterday, and it was brutal. I like roasty weather, but this was in a class by itself. Probably because there's no shade in all of Utah.
Normally, I'm Prius-like in my water consumption, but yesterday I was a '67 Charger. I killed about 5 Nalgenes, more than I often do in an entire weekend of Adirondack hiking. The heat had me doing a lot of things I wouldn't normally...dripping sweat, longing to go swimming. As I discovered with wearing a hat several summers ago, the heat you retain by covering up is more than offset by getting your skin out of the sun. I might need to invest in a hippie skirt and peasant top. The relief of changing from sandals into wool socks and boots was surprising.
I don't know if the ravens are always that noisy, but they seemed to be suffering in the heat a bit, too. They kept cawing agitatedly, and would sit in the junipers, with their mouths wide open, making noise. I don't know if this is a cooling thing, or just normal behavior.
It does appear that this is normal heat. As I was leaving, the radio announcer in Cortez said it was going to be a mild day...high of 90. Then another one today was lamenting at length that it's expected to be"cool" for the 4th. I was thinking 60s; he then said 86. The bank thermometer in Cortez on Sunday said 226. I would have believed it in Moab.
Full report tomorrow.
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