Moab and Monsoons

Apparently it is monsoon season in Moab. The monsoon arrived the same day we did. So for the two of the last three nights, we have enjoyed an hour or two of wind, rain, thunder and lightning, and general mayhem, at about the time we have attempted to cook dinner. The first night, we had a very late dinner, huddled in a damp shelter. The second night, our shelter blew away, and we went to the Moab brewery for dinner. (Fantastic food, and great beer, one was called "dead horse" - we explained rhyming slang to the waiter, but I don't think he got it - too much translation required. The servings were so generous that even Laurie was defeated, and left half his nachos on the plate.) The third day, (while I took Alice and Laurie white water rafting in the Colorado River - see next post) David went out and bought the MSR Storm Sail, which is guaranteed to stand up to winds of up to 105 miles per hour. Takes three people to put it up, and is a thing of beauty - many people stopped by last night to ooh and aah over it - and guess what? It is also has storm repellant properties. The night after we bought it, no rain, no wind, no thunder and no rain! David was extremely disappointed.

This afternoon however, as we were returning from Arches National Park, the clouds rolled in, the thunder sounded, and the lightning flashed across the horizon. We returned to our camp to find the MSR Storm Sail flapping in the wind -not through any failure of the Sail, but due to failure of the ropes that were supposed to be holding it down. They just do not hold in the sandy soil of the Moab Desert.

So here I am, at the campsite huddled under the MSR Storm Sail, which is now held in place by many large rocks, while David returns to "Gear Heads" the local camping store to buy some more appropriate tent pegs, and some more ropes to tie it down with. Of course, the wind has died down, and the rain is almost over - just a light pitter patter above my head, on the earstwhile Storm Sail. Gee camping is fun!