Gremlin's Tall Stories

Just before the mobile was due to ring at 8am I reset it for 8.30am, with Kevin and Dave still asleep. 8.30am and we’re all stirring. They will drive into Arches National Park and several others are riding in. Shortly before 9am I’m walking down the road to High Point Adventures to see if I can book at ATV Tour for 4 hours.

Indeed I can for 1pm, so I sign my life away, agree to ignore the instructors (ok, fine, listen to them) and head back to the Inn to chuck some washing on and catch up on my blogging. I end up chatting to various people as they pass through reception, so don’t get much done, but better than nothing. I transfer my washing from washer to dryer and continue writing.

Just after midday, I decide I need some food before the trip, and on the way out I reckon I may as well give the buffet at the front a try (Jan warned us against it, but it was a few years since they had been there). It was run by Asians, so very much Asian dishes, but also other stuff. Regulars like noodles, fried rice and sweet and sour pork were there, but also fruit like grapes and melons. All in all, not flash food, but for $8.55 (+ infernal tax) it wasn’t bad at all, and saved walking.

Actually, I should make a side note about pricing in the USA. Almost everything you come across doesn’t quote tax, so you can’t even have the amount ready if you’re paying by cash. Instead, you go digging through your wallet, so see if you can lighten your wallet, delaying everyone behind of you. If you’re eating somewhere, you have to factor in a tip as well. One of the guys found out a waiter somewhere was paid $2.50 an hour… So several times I’ve forgotten about the tax, and handed over money, only to need to find more, as I haven’t included tax. I believe they do it to sort of show the public this is how much we’re charging you, this is how much the government is then charging on top. You need to bear in mind that different states charge different amounts of taxes as well.

Anyway, lunch over (dessert was a milk tart of some sort I think – very nice) it was back to the room, and after a chat with a couple of people, time is marching on and now I’m running late (par for the course I imagine you think). Throw some gear into the top box, inside a backpack so I can carry it, and off down the highway in shoes, shorts and t-shirt. I did wear a helmet… so naughty.

I arrived a little late, but the rest of the group was only sorting out their goggles and who was going to have which quad. The rest of the group was simply one group, who had driven down from Salt Lake City, from a convention they were attending (found out at the end that they were officers). I grabbed the last quad and listened to the safety lecture on how not to kill yourself (and how to control this 4 wheeled contraption).

We set off next to the highway, the first little bit proving to be good at practising how to ride the quad, then crossed the highway and into the canyon trails proper. 3.5 hours later we’d seen a lot of scenery, done some walking and climbing and I was absolutely buggered, but in a good way. See photo for a once handsome looking bloke now looking ugly. My clean shirt I’d just put on that morning (coz the rest went into the wash) was now covered with dust, so I had to wash it out.

The quad riding had consisted of river beds, some soft dunes and actual rock. It wasn’t basic boring gravel roads all the way, some even a little challenging, but far more satisfying than following some bland gravel roads. Doing 40mph down a sandy track every metre rising and falling was rather exciting. I’d started 3rd behind the guide, but straight away overtook the guy in front as he struggled with the controls.

At the first stop, the girls at the front didn’t want to be at the front, so I volunteered and stayed there until the end. I was able to ride at the guides speed and he took me into odd little places that he told the others to avoid, so a lot of fun.

They supplied the water and I finished off two bottles during the tour. Leaving the Inn the bike had said 36 degrees and it was 32-34 degrees on the open road. I doubt it dropped much during the afternoon. On the way home it went as low as 29 degrees, which almost felt like luxury to the earlier temperatures.

Leaving the quad place I chatted to one of the cops, who was very interested in the GSA, fancying one himself at some point (he’d considered the Multistrada, but knew Ducati was more interested in carbon fibre bits than crash bars). At the service station next door a 0.5L bottle of lemon drink disappeared. A bit of brain freeze, but the liquid was much needed.

On the way back to Moab I detoured to Arches National Park, to see the naturally occurring arches made of sandstone through erosion. The landscape is so different to anything we have in NZ, and so stunning in such a grand way. Along with the arches were windows… basically holes in a rock, but lots together in one area. Stunning stuff, I wasn’t carry water and wished I had as it was still really hot, especially after I walked 20min round trip in 30+ degrees to one overlook. Reaching the dead end of the park I spotted a drinking water sign, and pumping the handle got my nice cold clear water that I consumed as much as possible.

I didn’t walk all the way to Delicate Arch, but did walk to the overlook. A slight headache was coming on, meaning dehydration, so I wanted to get back to the Inn. I returned around 7.45pm, and was straight away offered some left overs… woot, no finding of dinner then. The pool had been my first thought, but instead I caught up with Gary and Barbara, who refused payment for their leftover chicken and salads. At least I managed to somewhat return the favour by helping Gary with the following days route.

9pm, and I’m re-packing some of my stuff ready for the morning. 9.30pm, and now the pool is calling (rare for me too). Temperature was perfect, so in with my swimming shorts and the dusty shirt on (heheheh). Swam around a bit, then the spa and then straight back into the pool (with the corresponding shock).

10.30pm, back in the room and wrote for an hour and a bit. Kevin came back from a Hummer tour in the early evening and went to Pizza Hut for dinner. He waited over an hour, checking twice when his good was coming, or even the appetizer and was told, “It’s coming right now”. This backfired when asked to point to his pizza…. It wasn’t in the oven yet. There was only 4 tables.

The guy didn’t learn, and the same thing with his appetizer. Kevin ended up getting it for free, didn’t finish it, so I picked up some left overs there too. All in all an excellent day.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/sxREd1d9CxRoD7C99