05/02/17 ~ Hunter and Dustin's Wild Field Guide

Howdy, all. This is Hunter!

Our day began at 7am and it was off to a disappointing start. Pike's Peak was closed down due to the snow storm that hit. Dustin and I were devastated. Park rangers weren't sure when it would re-open due to ice, so we had to leave the mountain behind. D': wah!!!

We were pretty upset about Pike's Peak being closed and we were also getting sick and tired of the freezing cold wind. We decided to head for the desert!

On our way out, we decided to stop at Twin Lakes in Colorado

It was freezing cold!!!

Yay body warmth!

Yoshi thought the lake was pretty, but he was ready to go to the desert, too.

Yoshi even made friends with a cute little PowderPuff Pincushion cactus(mammilaria bocasana).

From twin lakes we drove about 4 hours. We drove through a big canyon and we were surrounded by stunning rock walls on either sides of us!

Then, before we knew it, we were in Utah!

Yoshi loves Utah!

That night, we made it to Arches National Park as planned only to find that it has closed early due to remodeling of the entranceway! Because, yknow, you go to a national park to look at the entranceway, not the park!

We could not get into Arches National Park or camp there. Faced with another disappointment that threw off our plans and route, we were pretty upset. We felt defeated. We were growing very tired of inanimate signposts telling us what we can or can't do. Do not enter, closed, no climbing, no camping, stay on trail, etc. We were expecting wild and free landscapes on this trip, we are learning more and more that that isn't the case anymore. Our desire to experience nature is being preyed upon by private companies and our government. Shocker!

After being turned away yet again by another park, we had to find somewhere else last minute to stay. The motels in the area were $100 a night at the cheapest! Before now we had felt so sure of ourselves and confident in the path we were going down but now we felt lost. It's a scary feeling for two very headstrong individuals. We eventually found a free campground 30 minutes away from Arches. No water, no electricity and no toilets! Primitive as you can get, it was just a plot of land where you could park your car and pitch a tent. We had been praying every night for guidance and for favor and it felt like we had been getting none of it. Dustin and I talked about what had happened over the past couple days, we discussed how we had both been very impatient in our decision making and how we weren't taking the time to listen and let ourselves be led. We knew there was a reason for everything happening the way that it did; so we got on our knees and prayed to God that the answer would be revealed unto us and that he not make things easier or harder, but that we come to know why.

This wasn't able to be posted yesterday as planned because we had no service pretty much all day. But day 7 was the BOMB!!! Our prayers were answered and God revealed answers to us. We woke up at 6 and headed to Arches National Park. The entrance fee is normally $25 per car, but we got in for free! Thanks, God!