June 28, 2007

Reveille at 6AM to watch the sun come up over these absolutely beautiful cliffs.  While reading on the lanai horses and turkeys were wandering around in front of me.  We drove into Moab for breakfast in an outdoor breakfast place called the Jail-house Cafe.  Back out tot the airport, turned the car in and loaded up the aircraft with the stuff and fuel.  Since this airport has a high density altitude Chris wanted to do a few touch and goes to get used how the plane handles in this situation.  We did three touch and goes and then departed straight out for Monument Valley and Gouldings.

The airport at Gouldings took a little effort to differentiate from another near by airport but once we sorted it out Chris shot a very challenging approach to the runway.  The winds roll over the bluffs right next to the airport and the runway actually has a vertical raise that ends up against a shear wall of another butte.  We checked in at the office, dropped our bags and went for lunch.  At 4PM we took the 3.5 hour twilight Monument Valley Tour.  We are actually staying in Utah but are less than a mile from the Arizona border and Monument Valley.  This area is a Navajo Reservation.  All of the help at Gouldings are indians that have a very stoic personality.  At first you think they are very stand offish but if you talk with them they are very friendly and responsive but it take a little getting used to when you first experience them.

The tour was about 1.5 hours to long.  Although hot there was a breeze blowing that made it acceptable.  I would be lying if I said I was not happy to be back at the lodge. We were hot, tired and sweaty but had to go right to dinner as the house we are staying in requires a shuttle.  Since it was 7:30PM we decided to just go for it.  Had we gone to the house first to clean up we would have probably skipped dinner.  Tomorrows flight plan calls for an early departure and a stop in St George Utah for breakfast and fuel.