My Traveling Diaries | Solo Road Trip to Moab

The truth is, I have no commitments, no deadlines and no chance for any late nights being stuck in an office. In fact, I feel as if I'm a teenager again enjoying my summer break deciding how to best spend this precious free time I have for only a little while left. So in that case, I decided to stop admiring pictures of resorts and hotels and instead grab my credit card number to book a room for a night. I've got 100 hikes to finish this year so let's see how many I can knock out in 2 days...

I enjoy challenging myself outside my comfort zone. After the success and experience of my first solo road trip to Yellowstone, I knew that I created a new and exciting tradition for myself. I have been to Moab plenty of times in the past with my friends, so this trip in comparison to my first solo trip would be straightforward and arguably a piece of cake.

I began my drive down on a hot July afternoon and turned on a personal playlist I created for the trip. I listened to podcasts and blasted music the whole way down. I checked into the hotel on the edge of downtown Moab. I wanted to get at least a few hikes in before the sun set that night. I refueled at a local diner and changed my clothes before driving to Arches National Park. I was greeted at the entrance with a map and packet of information and began plotting my plan of attack for the next 24 hours. I made a goal to hit at least 10 trails while I was here. 

On the first night I drove through incredible landscapes, snapping photos and videos from the dash of my car. I filled my fanny pack with snacks and mints and refilled my water bottle. The parking lots were about half full which made for less traffic on the trails. I put in my headphones and turned on my music and began to wander. Following the rhythmic movement of my steps I swung my arms in unison being sure to keep my head up at where I was headed. I leapt through rocks, scaled giant boulders and occasionally took breaks for people watching. I finished my 3rd trail when I decided to head back to the hotel. Before heading to bed, I jumped into the pool under moon and took a hot shower. I called my husband to check in on him for the night and told him about my day. I had 7 more trails waiting for me tomorrow so I tucked myself in the sheets and drifted quickly off to sleep. 

The next and final day I woke up with excited energy and anticipation. I replaced the ice in my cooler, fueled up at a gas station and made my way back into the park. This morning was going to be my first time ever hiking Delicate Arch, the infamous structure that is stamped on almost every license plate in Utah. It was also the longest trail on my list, so it's better to knock that off first. I made it to the parking lot with plenty of people already on the trail. I started my ritual of picking a playlist and setting the timer on my watch. I weaved through families, friends and lovers trekking their way up the marked path. An overhanging cliff was the last stretch to the grand viewpoint. It's hard to believe that an arch like this wasn't chiseled and designed by men, but simply formed by nature. I sat in my little space I made and snapped a few photos before heading back to the car. I spent the rest of my morning finding trails while deep in my thoughts. Before I knew it, I had 6 more trails under my belt and I only needed 1 more left. I was exhausted from the sun and heat. I headed back into town for one more late lunch at a cafe before finishing out my last hike.

The last hike on my list was Corona arch, the only trail that wasn't inside Arches. As I turned into the gravel parking lot, there was only one other car. I was surrounded by spectators the whole day, but this was the first time that I felt alarming alone. At least with the other car in the parking lot, I knew I wouldn't be entirely alone. I had come so far that I didn't want to give up and justify that 9 hikes was good enough, I really wanted 10. I took a deep breath and climbed up the rocky stairs, crossed the rail road tracks and started hiking. My phone was overheating so I couldn't play music, so I was left with the sound of nothing but crunching rocks under my shoes. I flipped through pages of memory of this trail which I had done a few years back, but I kept getting worried I was getting off track. I came up over an edge when I found swipes of green paint almost like the size of a foot spaced out every 10 or 12 feet. I felt so much relief when I found them and steadily kept pressing forward. 

My mind began to pick up the pace and panic started setting in. I tried making jokes or distracting myself with something else, but it wasn't working as well as I hoped. I would explain to myself that a random point on the trail would be a good spot to turn around, that this was far and good enough but I talked myself out of it. I couldn't leave without finishing it and I wouldn't let myself, even if it threw me into a full panic. I kept moving and found the hand railing along and rock's edge and now the metal ladder to go higher. I could finally see the arch in view when I came across the other hikers. They had a surprised and somewhat concerned look on their faces as we passed each other. I was trying my best to hold it together. It only took a few more strides for me to finally make it. I actually finished. I was so happy to see that beautiful damn arch but I wasn't planning on staying long. I snapped the photo I needed and immediately turned around. I took a big gulp of water, put my phone back in my pack and set off with a slight jog back down the trail. I found the green footprints and leapt like a ballerina across the rocks. My heart was racing to safely get back to my car with my mantra repeating itself in my head. I passed back over the rail road tracks and down climbed the rocks to find my lonely little jeep in the parking lot. A few tears managed to get big enough to make dirty streaks down to my chin. I wiped them away and splashed cold water on my face while laughing and slowing down my breathing.

If there's one thing that drives me crazy about myself is that I usually find reasons to give up or not really go for things in life. Sabotaging moments of when I come so far with the finish line in view thinking that good enough is good enough when I'm fully capable of going all the way. It's a habit that takes time and practice to break, and this trip was a reminder for myself that I am capable of finishing things and accomplishing hard things. I was exhausted and sore when I was driving home, but I felt more proud of myself for achieving a big goal and feeling like I could take on the entire world.

Thanks for reading!

Love, Nick