The Land of Arches.
Alright folks, let’s finish up our tour of Utah, shall we? On our way to Capital Reef National Park we pit stopped at Goblin Valley State Park after a recommendation from a friend. The huge round boulders piled onto one another made silhouettes of creatures and characters and new shapes popped up here and there. The vast open desert was covered in them and if it wasn’t for the forty mile per hour wind whipping sand into our eyes we would have stayed and explored longer. Pouring sand out of our shoes and happily getting back into Bertha, we headed for Capital Reef National Park. Having no idea what to expect, I was surprised by how pretty it was although very small. It was right around lunch time when we got there, the hottest part of the day, and we did not feel like hiking. Sometimes, particularly when you’re on long road trips and constantly on the move, you just need a break. So, instead of hiking and seeing something new we sat down in the picnic area surrounded by deer doing the same and ate lunch before we continued onto Moab. Moab, by the way, while small has a lot going on. The town has a few cool bars in it and restaurants but the real draw here are the two national parks that border it and all the hikes and sights in between. Our first stop was Arches National Park. After making a new friend at the hostel the night before and catching the NBA finals with him, he decided to hike with us and explore Arches a bit as well.
I’m not sure what I was expecting with Arches but I definitely had big expectations after hearing everyone talk about it so highly. It certainly didn’t disappoint it was just a little over crowded. The huge red rocks and cliff walls lined the side of the scenic road through the park, arches in the distance, sun beaming down on us without any relief. We did hike out to Delicate Arch while we were there which I recommend to anyone visiting Arches rather than just viewing it from the overlooks. Apparently, going to Arches and not seeing Delicate Arch is the equivalent of going to the Louvre and not seeing the Mona Lisa. We stupidly did it right in the middle of the day and oh my was it hot. The short hike out to the Utah staple is one I would normally call a stroll but considering the lack of shade and brief yet steep climb in the middle, I’m sticking with hike. The arch was much more impressive than I thought it would be and the Colorado mountains in the background only added to its grandeur. Formed into a large bowl that resembled an amphitheater with the arch on the opposite side, the crater created the perfect seating for viewing the Delicate Arch. It almost made it seem like the arch was placed there on purpose, the use of spectator seating too good to pass up. The arch, which decorates the license plates of Utah, shot up from one side and folded over perfectly to the other, growing out of the flat rock effortlessly. It’s amazing how water formed all of these arches. The best arch at the park, although Delicate Arch was cool, in my opinion was the Double Arch. From the parking lot, its frame could be spotted sticking out along the cliff. Walking closer to it, holes in the arches and perfectly clear blue sky appeared even larger revealing windows a good idea as to why it’s called the Double Arch. Two massive bridges in the sky merge together at one point and split apart to connect to the rest of the rock wall on the other side at two places. Climbing into it and looking up, I could see the streaks on the red rock, dark and light from water run off, and admired the details and curves in the solid formation. We ended up coming back later that day for sunset and I must say, that was one of the more spectacular sunsets I’ve seen on this trip, maybe ever. The Colorado mountains in the distance were painted beautiful shades of pinks and purples, warm colors changing the sky from a perfect blue to a muted peach. It started out vibrant and faded into the night as we left the amazing national park, our fourth of the five here in Utah.
Later that night, I was surprised by an old friend, with the help of Thatcher, who spent the next few days with us finishing out our exploration of Utah. Aspen isn’t too far from Moab, after all. Aaron and Thatcher and I set out from the hostel the next morning and grabbed whatever we thought we would need for camping that night. Moab is known for its proximity to the outdoors and all the amazing things you can see and do there. Camping being one of them, we were definitely not going to miss out on a night under the stars. BLM land all along the route to Canyonlands National Park, we picked what looked like a good spot and laid out the tent. The wind was only just starting to pick up so we put some rocks on it and left it in our spot to hold it. Somehow, Aaron got his 4-wheel drive ’87 Land Cruiser, stuck in the sand, which we now know was due to a slight lapse in judgement by not putting it into a low gear and we spent I would say a solid hour and change trying to push him out of the sand prior to coming to that realization. We even had to get Bertha in on the action. Finally starting our day around three, we headed the fifteen minutes up the road to Canyonlands National Park. The part of the park we went to is called Island in the Sky and honestly, it’s the best way to describe it as well. From one of the viewpoints, it looks as though the ground has been slowly eroding over time exposing canyons underneath the top layer. The colors were exceptional; reds, oranges, yellows, even greens and purples were present. An area which is still a mystery, Upheaval Dome, boasts purple cliffs and mint green and brown cracking rocks below. Fun fact, no one knows how it came to be. The two theories are either it was a salt dome that cracked and tilted the rock over time, or a violent meteor impact that instantly fractured the rock. Either way, it is a truly unique sight, as all the Utah parks seem to be. Wind having picked up exceptionally, we spent the night cooking over the fire, eating delicious and slightly sandy food, and watching yet another vibrant sunset. I chose this time not to take any photos and just admire from afar, content in that moment and in excellent company.
The last thing we saw in Utah was Corona Arch which is definitely something I suggest you do if you’re in Moab. The hike out to the arch was not really a hike at all, flat and at times just a little bit steep. The canyon below with the railroad cutting through it ran alongside us and the few rock piles along the way culminated into a rock pile graveyard. The giant Arch jutted out of the side of a cliff and curved down in a sweeping motion into the layers of rock under neath it. Aaron and Thatcher attempted to climb up it as high as they could, only making it so far and having to come back down. I actually liked this one a lot more than the ones at Arches National Park particularly because we seemed to be the only ones there, a welcome find.
I feel like after all that I barely experienced Utah other than the parks, although being in Moab definitely helped that a bit. I did get to see a moonrise which is something I have been missing out on, for sure. The bright yellow moon teased us for a while when we were camping with a glow from under the horizon until about 11 pm when all of a sudden the moon came beaming over the edge and rose within ten minutes. I couldn’t look away it was so amazing. I can’t wait to see more of those the more Thatcher and I camp on the rest of our trip. Here’s hoping.
Off to race through the parks in Arizona that we missed before the heat melts us like the Wicked Witch of the West.
The Photo:
Corona Arch.
Moab, Utah.
6/12/17.
