Tent Life & Night Skies

11.07.25 (5:30 pm) - I raced the last bits of light to reach camp at Natural Bridges National Monument; the earth painted in November dusk—rusted, coppered, muted ember orange—and clouds stretching across the sky like soft brushstrokes. It’s been over 20 years since I’ve been here.

Camp took no more than five minutes to set up. It’s an easy thing to do when all I have is a tent and a sleeping bag. By the way it looks, I’m the only tent camper. Everyone else is living the “van life.” The weather report called for 35-degree temps overnight, so I should sleep soundly.

(7:04 pm) - I’m in the tent. Just finished another chapter in Rick Steves’s book, On the Hippie Trail; this one by headlamp as I wait for the full night sky to show. Children’s laughter comes from a camp three sites away. In two other directions, the sound of movies emanates from camper vans, which is odd to me since camping means getting away from such entertainment, or so I thought. But to each their own, I guess. Though it is quite harmful to the usual calm and silence of the campground. Time to go capture some images of the night sky.

(8:07 pm) - What a sky! Billions of points of light. The Milky Way. This park certainly has some of the best night skies in the country. I think I’ll finish another few chapters, then call it a night. Someone seems to have turned up the volume on whatever they’re watching next door. Whatever happened to campfires and laughter, darkness and silence?

My trustworthy Rock 22 from The North Face. I’ve had this tent for well over a decade.

My interpretation of a travel advertisement for Hyundai and The North Face.

11.08.25 (7:04 am) I found my silence. It was at Sipapu Bridge this whole time.