Hiking, Hailstorms, and Centipedes in Valley of the Gods, Utah

Day: 3.5
Miles: 853
Location: Valley of the Gods, Utah

Valley of the Gods, Utah

Mapbooks are funny. This whole trip is based off of the directions from the old school Michellen Mapbook. Its a better, purer way to travel. Unlike google maps, mapbooks still have roadside attractions labeled. But even mapbooks fall short!

The picture above is from Valley of the Gods, Utah. On the map, its just labeled as "State Rt 261". I was not prepared for this scene! A road steadily climbs up this massive mesa offering views for 50 miles! I just had to stop and enjoy such sights!

This one took a while to get...

I spent a rather fitful night atop this mesa in some national forest. Before I even got to sleep, I found an 8 inch, bright orange centipede beneath my sleeping bag.... WHOA!!! (That is the male version of screaming). I tossed him as far as I could into the woods. Later that night I was awakened by quite possibly the loudest thunder I'd ever heard. The lightening was also phenomenal and frightening. This is literally one of the most remote parts of the country; there are no artificial light sources.

WHOA!

It is hard to explain what the lightening was like. The flash was absolutely blinding. After each flash, it took probably a full minute for my eyes to re-adjust. Then there was the hail. It was like being pelted by a thousand airsoft pellets all at once. This happened three times that night... I didn't sleep well... The next morning was completely cloudless! Go figure.