My first visit to Island in the Sky was the same day as Needles, just after I had set up camp at Horsethief Campground. I didn’t stay too long at Mesa Arch, heavy winds kicked up and I was worried about my tent. I was right to be worried, and today I spent some time patching holes and tears that were incurred.

The next morning, after setting up my genius car camping, including velcroed bug netting on the windows and a hanging solar lamp, I returned to Island in the Sky, early enough to catch a gorgeous sunrise and watch some rain try valiantly to reach the ground.

My morning hike was accompanied only by lizards and snakes.

The brave attempts of the rainclouds meant that the afternoon was actually cool enough that I could read outside, in the shade, for a few hours before it broke 100.