Hotter Than What?

As I was slothing around under the AC yesterday, bemoaning the 104 degrees I was avoiding outside, I said "I've never been this hot."
"Wrong,"  said Philoboy.  "I have one word for you.  Arches."

Ohhh yeah.  That's right.  Arches National Park in Utah.  120 degrees. Big rocks that held and reflected the sun. And my doctor wanted me to have knee surgery.  Instead I ran away and hid in the middle of arid stone where he couldn't get to me with his little scopy thingy.

And walked and walked and walked.  And lived in ice packs when I wasn't walking.  That pack on my back?  Hydration pack.  Nothing but water. All so I could see this.

This is a monster landmark, but you can't see it from the entrance or the parking lot or the trail, until you climb over some big hot rocks and then over an even bigger slab of rock... and there it is.

Apparently the heat makes your ears grow.  Take a look at this guy!

Because the trail goes across hard rock, almost anywhere you walk is low impact on the environment, but it also makes it kinda hard  to follow the trail.  So the solution is some sort of zen-like marker... 

That's what I call art in the desert.  There is other art in the desert too, although I think when it was created it wasn't art.  It was a hard way to record a story.  Pun intended. Sorry.

I understand the horses and the bighorn sheep, and the dog picture. But what's that lizard looking thing over on the right?  Let's hope it's not to scale.

All that wide open space makes a fella want to stop and think about things for a while.

OK, It's only 104, not a 120, I have new ballpoint pens and a computer to record my story instead of a rock.  Can't complain.  I bet if I go outside and start looking for an adventure, I won't notice the heat at all.  Off we go!!