We're back in Moab following a couple of days in the National Parks. We were fortunate to secure a campsite in the small Arches NP campground (52 sites, all pre-booked) when a fellow camper decided to leave a day early and we were in the right spot at the right time. On our first day there we drove around the large park, stopping for pictures and a few hike-lites to the base of some lovely arches. The entire park is filled with arches, sandstone fins (long, tall, narrow formations) and rounded, rust-coloured mountains in a desert surrounding.........magnificent views everywhere that change during the day as the shadows come and go. The next day we tried the more difficult Devils Garden Trail which featured 8 arches including Landscape Arch which has a span of almost 100 metres. That was the end of the trail for Rhonda who is still recovering from her infection, and with no solid foods back in her diet yet, her stamina is not back to normal (but it is getting better every day). She waited patiently for me in the van while I completed the 12 km hike up and down some slickrock formations. We had a campfire at night and spent time stargazing under a clear sky, catching several meteors burning up.
The following day we drove over to nearby Canyonlands National Park. Totally different geological features but equally as stunning. The NP is divided into 3 regions, all separated by large canyons which host the Colorado and Green Rivers that meet in the middle of the NP. This excursion was to the Island in the Sky region where a narrow 'neck' allows the road to continue along the plateau to a large park area surrounded by canyons that are over 1,000 feet below. The short trails we hiked all led to wonderful rim views. Pictures don't begin to reflect the stunning vistas that go on forever. 4x4 vehicles were required to explore the canyon floors, or a significant hike down and back, so after spending a full day in the park and a forecast of 24 hours of showers on the way, we decided to head back to Moab for a few days. It turned out to be a good decision with overnight thunderstorms and rain most of the day today. It was the first rainfall in quite some time for the area so it was appreciated by the locals but it would have been a muddy experience in the desert-like parks and campgrounds.
Today we are taking it easy, doing some laundry, grocery shopping and relaxing. There are several interesting w/e events in Moab, including an artist show which we will check out. Some local hikes and geocache searches are also on the agenda but nothing too strenuous. On Monday we will head further south and enter another region of Canyonlands NP called the Needles.
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Delicate Arch (Utah license plate) |
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Double Arch |
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Landscape Arch |
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Arches Campground (note our van) |
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Prelude to the meteor shower |
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Upheaval Dome (salt) |
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Diving Board |
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Mesa Arch (and canyon below) |
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