Arches NP Arches NP: Part 2 Arches NP: Delicate Arch Canyonlands NP: Island In The Sky Canyonlands NP: Needles District Plants & Flowers Trees Petroglyph's
We went to Moab, Utah in the spring of 2008 and spent our days hiking in the high plains/desert as well as the deep canyons. We went from cold barren areas where hail and snow fell on us to the hot desert sun warming us.
The two National Parks, Arches and Canyonlands are parks worthy of your life list of places to see. The parks are different yet so close to each other. Walk among the rocks and you will feel as small as an ant and realize your lifetime is nothing compared to the massive mesas, buttes, fins and spires that soar above you. You are walking through history - from the petroglyph's to ancient ocean fossils to the pieces of red rock the size of a house clinging on only by gravity.
Yet that snow that fell on us was bringing forth the early flowers of a desert spring. The colors would grab your eyes. The thing that played upon my eyes is how hard it is to judge distance in the high desert. What looks to be a mile across is maybe a 1/4 mile - the colors of the rocks and shrubs/flowers toy with your eyes.
And there is little like slickrock. You feel superhuman as you walk on it. It really is enjoyable to not slide on algae encrusted rocks for once. At home here in the PNW I don't ever trust walking on rock - it shifts, moves or you slide on it. An awesome hike is Delicate Arch in Arches - the slickrock section of the trail would be a scramble at home, yet there you walk right down the rock like you are on a sidewalk.
It is an incredibly harsh yet awe inspiring area.
We went to Moab, Utah in the spring of 2008 and spent our days hiking in the high plains/desert as well as the deep canyons. We went from cold barren areas where hail and snow fell on us to the hot desert sun warming us.
The two National Parks, Arches and Canyonlands are parks worthy of your life list of places to see. The parks are different yet so close to each other. Walk among the rocks and you will feel as small as an ant and realize your lifetime is nothing compared to the massive mesas, buttes, fins and spires that soar above you. You are walking through history - from the petroglyph's to ancient ocean fossils to the pieces of red rock the size of a house clinging on only by gravity.
Yet that snow that fell on us was bringing forth the early flowers of a desert spring. The colors would grab your eyes. The thing that played upon my eyes is how hard it is to judge distance in the high desert. What looks to be a mile across is maybe a 1/4 mile - the colors of the rocks and shrubs/flowers toy with your eyes.
And there is little like slickrock. You feel superhuman as you walk on it. It really is enjoyable to not slide on algae encrusted rocks for once. At home here in the PNW I don't ever trust walking on rock - it shifts, moves or you slide on it. An awesome hike is Delicate Arch in Arches - the slickrock section of the trail would be a scramble at home, yet there you walk right down the rock like you are on a sidewalk.
It is an incredibly harsh yet awe inspiring area.
Arches National Park
Balanced Rock:
Balanced Rock from another side:
Windows:
The Fortress:
The second Windows Arch:
The Windows:
Tree growing in the arch at the Fortress:
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Arches National Park: Part 2
On the trail to Landscape Arch. It is walking through the fins:
Varnish and other stuff on the rocks:
More fins:
Right before we reached Landscape Arch the skies opened up and hail started pummeling us. I took a couple photos as fast as I could and then we ran back as fast as we could. The hail was falling so hard it was stinging like being bitten:
As we left Devils Garden where Landscape arch is, the weather changed. So we decided to do more hiking and picked Broken arch and Sand Dune Arches.
Winding our way to Broken Arch:
Kirk under Broken Arch:
The hike to Broken Arch was very pretty and no one else was out there. It was very quiet. The hike crosses a long stretch of open plains with great views of many smaller fins and Broken Arch. It then enters an open forest of Juniper and a small wash as you come up to the arch. Lots of tiny lizards live in the area.
On the way out the trail has a junction near the trailhead where you can go to visit Sand Dune Arch. The trail is nearly all sand so while short gives one a work out. The small arch is tucked in between two narrow fins. It is a cool place to hide on a hot day in the desert.
Sand Dune Arch:
Ford on the slickrock under Sand Dune Arch:
We came back at sunset after hiking Delicate Arch to watch the sun go down near Windows.
In the far distance the La Sal Mountains stood out in contrast.
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Varnish and other stuff on the rocks:
More fins:
Right before we reached Landscape Arch the skies opened up and hail started pummeling us. I took a couple photos as fast as I could and then we ran back as fast as we could. The hail was falling so hard it was stinging like being bitten:
As we left Devils Garden where Landscape arch is, the weather changed. So we decided to do more hiking and picked Broken arch and Sand Dune Arches.
Winding our way to Broken Arch:
Kirk under Broken Arch:
The hike to Broken Arch was very pretty and no one else was out there. It was very quiet. The hike crosses a long stretch of open plains with great views of many smaller fins and Broken Arch. It then enters an open forest of Juniper and a small wash as you come up to the arch. Lots of tiny lizards live in the area.
On the way out the trail has a junction near the trailhead where you can go to visit Sand Dune Arch. The trail is nearly all sand so while short gives one a work out. The small arch is tucked in between two narrow fins. It is a cool place to hide on a hot day in the desert.
Sand Dune Arch:
Ford on the slickrock under Sand Dune Arch:
We came back at sunset after hiking Delicate Arch to watch the sun go down near Windows.
In the far distance the La Sal Mountains stood out in contrast.
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Arches NP: Delicate Arch
The weather was interesting on our trip as I have noted.....while we did get sun it was never truly hot as the wind cooled you down. Late in the day on a lark we decided to go do the hike to Delicate Arch. Due to the storm coming in this very popular hike was rather deserted. Not a bad thing - allowing us to enjoy the unofficial landmark of Utah in relative quiet!
The trail starts on a nicely maintained dirt path that winds up to the base of slickrock. At that point the trail takes off and goes uphill. You walk on slickrock most of the way following rock cairns. While it has elevation gain it feels easy on the body. At the end you come to an arch above you called Frame Arch. If you climb up the rock you can look through and see Delicate Arch with the snow covered La Sal Mountains in the far distance. After that the trail was blasted out years ago. It is a narrow ledge that you walk upon. I don't like exposed trails like that but was coaxed across by Kirk to come see the views.
The photos of the area are of course misleading - what looks like a straight stretch is actually a deep chasm, yet due to the slickrock you can walk across the top and go out to the arch.
Heading up the trail on a dirt path. The slick rock is near the top.
Looking back down the trail:
After you cross the slickrock you cross a plateau of sorts and then start the exposed section. Looking over the side at a number of Junipers. There were potholes with water from the morning's snow/hail:
Me at Delicate Arch. It was very windy and my jacket felt like a kite about to take off.
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Canyonlands NP: Island In The Sky
Island In The Sky is the section of Canyonlands NP that is close to Moab. It is located on a paved road a shy 30 miles in from the highway and about 10 miles out of town. It is a remote park - it sits high on a plateau with a couple roads covering the main parts of that section. It is also where one of the entrances to the White Rim Road is as well as passing Dead Horse Point State Park a few miles before the park. There are though a nice campground, vast vistas and nice picnic areas on top of the many trails. It is very windy though being what it is: an island up high with no mountains nearby to stop the wind and nothing for shade. But totally gorgeous.
The Merrimack and Monitor buttes, which sit on BLM land. For those who wonder, they were named after the Civil War era ships due to their shape. Kirk quizzed me as we drove up and I got it right on why they were called that. Hah! Thank you Military Channel....
Looking down at The Neck (Shafer Road) which connects to the White Rim Road (Jeep trail) down below. Kirk has done the White Rim before and if gas prices ever go down we will take the Xterra instead of the Benz and go do it. I'd love to run it in the truck.
Looking out at the La Sal Mountains.
A short but steep trail of steps and dirt takes you to a slickrock viewpoint.
Looking down the trail.
The Upheaval Dome.
Walking a backbone ridge of slickrock.
Ford on the "trail" across the slickrock.
Even in small rocks arches form. This rock was about 1/2 the size of Ford.
Looking out across the White Rim. The road follows the rim - what appears to be a "road" in the photo is a wash.
Looking over the edge, a straight 1,500 ft drop to the floor of the rim.
Looking down at The Neck. Far down you can see four trucks, two going up, two going down.
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The Merrimack and Monitor buttes, which sit on BLM land. For those who wonder, they were named after the Civil War era ships due to their shape. Kirk quizzed me as we drove up and I got it right on why they were called that. Hah! Thank you Military Channel....
Looking down at The Neck (Shafer Road) which connects to the White Rim Road (Jeep trail) down below. Kirk has done the White Rim before and if gas prices ever go down we will take the Xterra instead of the Benz and go do it. I'd love to run it in the truck.
Looking out at the La Sal Mountains.
A short but steep trail of steps and dirt takes you to a slickrock viewpoint.
Looking down the trail.
The Upheaval Dome.
Walking a backbone ridge of slickrock.
Ford on the "trail" across the slickrock.
Even in small rocks arches form. This rock was about 1/2 the size of Ford.
Looking out across the White Rim. The road follows the rim - what appears to be a "road" in the photo is a wash.
Looking over the edge, a straight 1,500 ft drop to the floor of the rim.
Looking down at The Neck. Far down you can see four trucks, two going up, two going down.
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Canyonlands NP: Needles District
Our day started by walking out to freezing temperatures. Within a couple miles out of town we encountered snow on the ground that got heavier as we drove towards the Needle District. It was around 28*. But oddly, not far past Newspaper Rock the snow just quit and the temps went up. From that point on it was blue skies.
On the way to Needles you pass Wilson Arch on the side of Hwy 191. It is being built up near it, as it sits near private land.
Snow covering much of the land.
Looking at the mountains in the distance as we approach Needles District.
Covered in snow.
Ruins of a granary.
Close up of the granary under the rock outcropping.
Rocks with small "mushroom caps".
Potholes full of rain.
Designs on a massive rock, near a wash.
Looking across to the Needles as a rain system moves in fast.
Going down the road to Elephant Hill. Kirk has done Elephant Hill as well, and well...from his vivid description of it? Nooo thanks. I'll sit out out on that one!
On our way home (a nice 1100 miles or so) we crossed Soldier Summit on Hwy 6 where we encountered temperatures of 21* and blowing snow. A bit white knuckled driving it in a sedan but once down in the Salt Lake Basin the sun came out to gorgeous weather all the way home. We took the Mercedes for its great gas mileage and was not disappointed by any means ;-)
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On the way to Needles you pass Wilson Arch on the side of Hwy 191. It is being built up near it, as it sits near private land.
Snow covering much of the land.
Looking at the mountains in the distance as we approach Needles District.
Covered in snow.
Ruins of a granary.
Close up of the granary under the rock outcropping.
Rocks with small "mushroom caps".
Potholes full of rain.
Designs on a massive rock, near a wash.
Looking across to the Needles as a rain system moves in fast.
Going down the road to Elephant Hill. Kirk has done Elephant Hill as well, and well...from his vivid description of it? Nooo thanks. I'll sit out out on that one!
On our way home (a nice 1100 miles or so) we crossed Soldier Summit on Hwy 6 where we encountered temperatures of 21* and blowing snow. A bit white knuckled driving it in a sedan but once down in the Salt Lake Basin the sun came out to gorgeous weather all the way home. We took the Mercedes for its great gas mileage and was not disappointed by any means ;-)
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