And again, and again. Playing the weather game, eventually you will loose.

Woke up predawn, right above White Canyon. Driving into Gravel it started raining, and continued. I turned around in the end less out of worry of flash floods in Gravel, then floods in White Canyon. It would not’ve done to get stuck and miss the race. So, I’m in Moab doing the rainy day circuit of library, coffeeshop, bikeshop. I managed to fit in an ascent of Elephant Butte (high point in Arches) between squals, but overall I’m doing what I should have from the beginning: rest.

In further watershed moments, I ran into another group on the butte for the first time. The trails which didn’t exist three years ago are defined, holds are starting to polish (insofar as that’s possible in Entrada). Weird. The couple was from Colorado, and I pointed out the route and gave them a tow on the mandatory unprotected fifth-class crux. I can’t begrudge them their adventure, but the grapevine, elitist though it is, forms a reasonable filter for those without experience. Such it is.

I did get to hang out for 20 minutes below the summit, hiding from the rain and watching the slickrock turn from taupe to silver and back again. Very pretty, rain in the desert, and something to be savored.

Course conditions tomorrow should be ideal, sand packed, air cool. Let’s just hope the rain finally clears for good and lets the bentonite on North Sov. dry a bit.

Dave out.