{ Beautiful Moab for Beautiful People }

I may or may have not stolen that title from my friend Dylan's facebook photo album of the Moab trip we took this past weekend. How could you not steal a title like that?! I know. OK..now on to the weekend...

A group of us decided to escape the cold and venture down to Moab last weekend. Part of us (the lucky part that I was not a part of) got to go down Friday morning, and a second group (my part) went down friday after work. The trip lasted approximately 23 hours including driving time, but it was well worth it. It was even worth the freezing cold sleep I got when we camped friday night (looks like my bag isn't as warm as I thought -- good thing to know prior to my camping trip in Ireland next month.)

Which reminds me -- side note: I'm going on a 9-day camping trip in Ireland in 3 weeks. My friend Ali alerted me of a last-minute trip thanks to ridiculously cheap tickets, and I was in. Emerald Isle, here I come! ok...back to Moab...

So, fun was my expectation for the trip, and fun was accomplished, so I would say it was a success. The time consisted of guitaring and singing by the campfire, hiking the Moab rim, laying on warm rocks and enjoying the sun, making shadow art and chimney-ing the Indian Ladder (see pictures below).


Funky distorted photo of the group by the campfire. Turned out kinda cool (thanks for loaning me some of your pictures Dylan!)


Nicki by campfire (we got some sweet night pictures thanks to Matt Cobabe's sweet new lens and stellar camera). Side note: check out my newest hat that I crocheted. I like to describe it as red, black and bulky.


Waking up to red rock is the best reward for enduring a not-so-warm night's sleep. Ali's sleeping hammock is in the background -- I think she was probably colder than me.


Ali inside said sleeping hammock.


The group all cuddled in a make-shift sleeping-bag bed while we were waiting for the sun to crest the canyon walls.
from left: Me, Stucki (stoo-kee), Brenna, KPAX, Ali and Jesse


The ladies group at the top of the hike. The hike takes you up red rock and then lets you out over a view of the whole Moab valley (the top picture is of the group at the top of the hike -- Dylan hiked down to grab a shot of the group from the bottom)
from left: Stucki, KPAX, me, Brenna, Ali


Brenna basking. Moab is in the background.


KPAX, Brenna and I soaking in the sun while laying on a rock at the top of the hike.


Candid of happy Matt Cobabe at the top of the hike.


Me and Brenna on our hike down from the Moab Rim. That's the Colorado River behind us.


Matt and Ali on the way down the hike. Ali was clapping two rocks together and Matt was pretending to ride a horse next to her (Monty Python, anyone?)


The front of Indian Ladder. It's a chimney climb in a crack that has formed between two rocks. The Indians had placed logs equipped with notches at more difficult parts of the accent to aid climbers. I guess it was a technique they used to allow them to get to high, difficult-to-reach places (or so says the informational sign at the bottom of the ascent).


You can see the logs they placed in this photo.


The group at the top of the chimney on Indian ladder.
from top to bottom: Stucki, me, Jesse, KPAX, Johnny, Kevin


Descending the Ladder, Matt grabbed a photo of me from above. I'm so grateful he's so willing to take his nice camera adventuring. It makes capturing memories so much more good looking than if they were captured with a point-and-shoot.


Here's a view of the chute below me (enveloping Brenna) for your reference.


The group after we all successfully made our way back down the ladder. The only one missing is Dylan because he was taking a picture.
from left: Kevin, Johnny, KPAX, Jesse, Matt, Ali, Stucki, Brenna, me


The girls making shadow art after we finished with Indian Ladder.


The shadows. Note the Moose antlers I am giving Stucki.


We went to the Moab Rotary park after our adventuring for lunch. It's equipped with musical play equipment (so cool, huh?). This is Dylan in his new hat that he picked up at the most killer thrift store I have ever been to (Wabi Sabi) in Moab.