What the Walrus said . . .

Photos and Anecdotes from a vagabond!

On the Move again!

In the past few days or so I have hiked and photographed Bryce Canyon NP, Goblin Valley State Park, Capitol Reef NP, Arches NP and Canyonlands NP. Canyonlands NP actually has three entrances and I have only been into one, which means tomorrow, on my way to Mesa Verde NP, I need to visit the other two sections . . . which means more hiking!!! LOL If only the heat would break, and the monsoons would back off!

I am behind in processing photos again, I apologize, but there is so much to see and simply not enough hours in the day . . . and I have found sleeping and eating to be vital to sustaining my hiking!

So . . . here are a few photos from Arches National Park, Utah.

Heading into the park, you first come upon this amazing canyon to investigate. From the parking area there is an all-downhill mile hike to get to the heart of the canyon . . . then the walk back uphill in the full sun. FUN!!
The views down the canyon are well worth the hike!
Mighty sandstone obelisks loom along the roadway as the trail winds deeper into the park
High mesas rise out of the desert, with spires and towers.
Courthouse Tower rises up from the desert floor several hundred feet.
There is something fascinating to watching the thunderstorms move out of the mountains across the deserts. Flash floods have been a massive problem in the southwest this year, destroying many of the favorite off-road routes. Moab, Utah, had a flood run down out of the desert and down Main Street. leaving mud and stones that the citizen have been cleaning up all this past week.
Balanced Rock. A wind and rain carved hoodoo that stands over a hundred feet tall.
Everywhere you look there are just such gorgeous sights to behold.
This was my first arch . . . well maybe first two arches if you count the hole as an arch being born.
Then you find another . . .
My favorite!! From a distance you only see the single arch. It is not until you make the hike out to the arch that you see that it is actually two arches, one above the other!
They were stunning to see, and even more stunning to photograph. The upper arch is easily sixty feet overhead.
Delicate Arch. This is a fun mile and a half hike, out over a long slickrock slope and around a narrow outcrop. What you cannot see in this photo is the very deep wash and sink between where I am standing to take the photo and the arch’s location on the slickrock shelf.
Some arches are hidden away in valleys. This is the narrow you navigate to get to Sand Dune Arch.
Ultimately, you find the arch at the end of the trail.
And a short 1.1-mile hike across the desert from Sand Dune Arch, you can find Broken Arch. Why it is called this, I have no idea. It sure doesn’t look broken!

I did not see all of the arches in the park. I hate to say it, but my right foot had a few nasty blisters and one broke open, which became very uncomfortable to walk on, even though I tried mole skin and bandages, but nothing helped except letting it heal in the open air overnight.

Arches National Park is one of the nation’s most visited parks. To help control the crowds, the Park Service now requires that you reserve an arrival time for entry into the park. It does seem to ease some of the congestion at some of the more popular locations (especially those that are right off the road or close to parking areas . . . it seems that most tourist simply want to drive by and hang their phone out the window to get pictures versus getting out and hiking!)

Reserve your entry time well in advance, or you can try the lottery for next day openings on the evening before you want to visit. RECREATION.GOV has all this information for you, and so much more!

I also use an app called National Park Trails. It provides you great information for all of the hiking trails in every National Park, plus it can tell you where you may have difficulties with the trails, so you do not wander off into the wilderness, or find yourself standing on the edge of the wrong cliff!

Tomorrow will be an interesting day. I am flying blind . . . I know what general direction I am headed and where I hope to end up at the end of the day. but I have no reservations for a landing site for the first time in this journey. It will be fun to see how this turns out. Stay tuned and until next time . . . enjoy life to the fullest!!

majik756

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