The best of both worlds.
Why not start with something comfortable and familiar and then move onto something new and adventuresome? The best of both worlds.
As promised, we would leave Temple Butte camp (the plan was originally Goblin Valley) and drive for about an hour and have breakfast in Moab, Utah at The Pancake Haus - like we have done on every other occasion when in southwestern Utah. The Pancake Haus is on the main highway through town, is not particularly special or all that inexpensive, but it is a solid breakfast and it is now tradition. I order the cinnamon apple compote pancakes, as always.
Usually we are passing through Moab on our way north to Boise, Idaho, this time it was a special detour to drop south off of I-70 and spend a few hours inside Arches National Park. I say, if you have come to see the American Southwest, you have to see the Grand Canyon [done] and also see Delicate Arch in Arches NP [not yet done :-( ]. After breakfast is just a couple miles to the entrance of the park, we get the map and a warning "to be careful up there", from the ranger who takes our $10. We fall in behind a parade of cars driving up the switchbacked road to get onto the massive sandstone platform that has provided the palette for erosion, gravity and wind to carve these exquisite geological wonders. And indeed it is a wondrous land of shape and color, so alien to the landscape that most of us trudge through in our daily lives.
The plan was to spend just a few hours in the park, leave by noon or shortly thereafter and arrive in Denver around dinner time to stay with my niece overnight before driving the long last leg to the Lone Star State and home. Well, we got off to a later start, had a later breakfast, and only started our tour of Arches late in the morning. Behind schedule. But, now that we were here, there were lots of weird rocks to become acquainted with. Let the adventure begin!
We started with the 'Garden of Eden' section of the park. We got out and scrambled over the bare tanned sandstone skin of the earth, looking at fins, towers and windows at various angles and snapping up a few photos for memory and blogging purposes.
We moved on from the Garden of Eden to the gallery of Windows and the famed Double Arch. Parking in this popular place was a challenge, but we found a spot and picked our way across the sandy trail to get a better perspective on the Double Arch stretching high overhead and framing the turquoise sky in ochre and pink shades streaked with black desert varnish.
With a Double Arch in our rear view mirror, I said there is one last arch we need to see before we set our sights on Denver -- we have to see Delicate Arch.
Delicate Arch is a 3 mile round trip hike across slick sandstone and all hikers are strongly encourage to bring at least a quart of water with them. It was in the low 90's (no shade), and I did not think 3 miles was any kind of distance that could not be walked off in about an hour. We found the lot full of vehicles so we parked a ways down the road on the shoulder. We left our water in the car and set out to see Delicate Arch which was located over the rim of the ridge. They say, 'the legs are the first to go', but I say years of flatland living a behind-the-desk experience makes the lungs the first to go. And frankly, I was horrified at how far my lung capacity had declined. I had not walked all that far when I begged for a rest. Back up the slope, and then a need for more rest. Grant suggested I give up and just go back to the car. I insisted we could make it to our goal. I put one foot in front of the other and lumbered up the outcrop. Grant jeered me on by saying, "Dad, you are not going to be able to do this. Let's just go back." I see other old people going up without stopping and I see a guy with a cane coming back down. I think I have to finish this hike. I stop for another rest in the bright sun, and Grant says, "OK. What if I take the camera and quickly go up and get a
picture of the arch, and then we go back down together - you stay here." I agree. He strides ahead with my camera and returns. I ask, did you see the arch? Did you get some good photos? He assures me, he did. I say, OK, then, I want to get up to where you just were and see Delicate Arch. I inch my way forward and get to the crest, and realize that I had been dealt a joker by my hiking companion. I see no Delicate Arch. A guy on the way pack passes us and says, 15 more minutes and you'll be there.
I check my watch. We are pretty late for our departure in order to make the 6 hour drive to Denver in time for dinner reservations. I dejectedly, call it quits after about a 1.25 miles of the 1.5 miles in order to get back on schedule. I miss seeing Delicate Arch. Actually, looking at the map (after leaving the park) I see that we did not have to hike to the arch, we could have seen it by driving a bit further down the road to the 'viewing area'. Another thing for my ToDoList - get in shape and go see Delicate Arch.
Upon our return to the car, we quickly began draining the thermos of water down our parched throats. Rehydrated and disappointed in my performance, I handed Grant the keys and said, "Start the engine. Crank up the a/c. Take me back to Denver." I directed him to drive over to the "Devils Garden", I'd shoot a few photos from the passenger seat and then we'll exit the park, and watch out for the heavily patrolled road outside of Moab - the Utah Highway Patrol generates a lot of revenue along that desolate stretch of road.
Why not start with something comfortable and familiar and then move onto something new and adventuresome? The best of both worlds.
As promised, we would leave Temple Butte camp (the plan was originally Goblin Valley) and drive for about an hour and have breakfast in Moab, Utah at The Pancake Haus - like we have done on every other occasion when in southwestern Utah. The Pancake Haus is on the main highway through town, is not particularly special or all that inexpensive, but it is a solid breakfast and it is now tradition. I order the cinnamon apple compote pancakes, as always.
Usually we are passing through Moab on our way north to Boise, Idaho, this time it was a special detour to drop south off of I-70 and spend a few hours inside Arches National Park. I say, if you have come to see the American Southwest, you have to see the Grand Canyon [done] and also see Delicate Arch in Arches NP [not yet done :-( ]. After breakfast is just a couple miles to the entrance of the park, we get the map and a warning "to be careful up there", from the ranger who takes our $10. We fall in behind a parade of cars driving up the switchbacked road to get onto the massive sandstone platform that has provided the palette for erosion, gravity and wind to carve these exquisite geological wonders. And indeed it is a wondrous land of shape and color, so alien to the landscape that most of us trudge through in our daily lives.
 |
| Strange, Weird and Wondrous Shapes abound |
We started with the 'Garden of Eden' section of the park. We got out and scrambled over the bare tanned sandstone skin of the earth, looking at fins, towers and windows at various angles and snapping up a few photos for memory and blogging purposes.
We moved on from the Garden of Eden to the gallery of Windows and the famed Double Arch. Parking in this popular place was a challenge, but we found a spot and picked our way across the sandy trail to get a better perspective on the Double Arch stretching high overhead and framing the turquoise sky in ochre and pink shades streaked with black desert varnish.
With a Double Arch in our rear view mirror, I said there is one last arch we need to see before we set our sights on Denver -- we have to see Delicate Arch.
Delicate Arch is a 3 mile round trip hike across slick sandstone and all hikers are strongly encourage to bring at least a quart of water with them. It was in the low 90's (no shade), and I did not think 3 miles was any kind of distance that could not be walked off in about an hour. We found the lot full of vehicles so we parked a ways down the road on the shoulder. We left our water in the car and set out to see Delicate Arch which was located over the rim of the ridge. They say, 'the legs are the first to go', but I say years of flatland living a behind-the-desk experience makes the lungs the first to go. And frankly, I was horrified at how far my lung capacity had declined. I had not walked all that far when I begged for a rest. Back up the slope, and then a need for more rest. Grant suggested I give up and just go back to the car. I insisted we could make it to our goal. I put one foot in front of the other and lumbered up the outcrop. Grant jeered me on by saying, "Dad, you are not going to be able to do this. Let's just go back." I see other old people going up without stopping and I see a guy with a cane coming back down. I think I have to finish this hike. I stop for another rest in the bright sun, and Grant says, "OK. What if I take the camera and quickly go up and get a
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| Grant waits for the old man to get up the Delicate Arch Trail |
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| A hiking companion |
Upon our return to the car, we quickly began draining the thermos of water down our parched throats. Rehydrated and disappointed in my performance, I handed Grant the keys and said, "Start the engine. Crank up the a/c. Take me back to Denver." I directed him to drive over to the "Devils Garden", I'd shoot a few photos from the passenger seat and then we'll exit the park, and watch out for the heavily patrolled road outside of Moab - the Utah Highway Patrol generates a lot of revenue along that desolate stretch of road.
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| Gate into the Devil's Garden |
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| The Devil grows some fine rocks in his Garden |
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| Park Avenue Near the Entrance to Arches National Park |
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