April 25 - Arches, Part Deux and Road Touring Around Moab

Friday morning, we were up early to make to Arches by 7:30 so we could complete our hike before the heat and sun set in. Our plan was sound, and the parking lot was not full when we arrived. That said, there were plenty of other people enjoying the same hike we did. The hike was challenging but not our toughest hike of the trip. There was a steep climb over "slick rock", meaning it was bald rock, not that it was actually slick (though it would be if it ever rained). Then we had to skirt a relatively narrow ledge as we approached the last .2 miles to get to the arch. The ledge seemed very stable, but it was still nerve-racking when you had to pass other folks going the other way. The hike was worth it - Delicate Arch was breathtaking!

We were really lucky to get this perfect shot with no other people in it, plus framing the La Sal Mountains behind!

Wide shot of the Delicate Arch location. You get a hint of the wide, graduated opening that sits just below the rim where the arch is perched.

View looking up the slick rock that we had to climb.

 We made a few more picture stops on our way out. Arches National Park is simply exquisite!

Balanced Rock

This is called Park Avenue

We then headed to charge and have lunch at Moab Diner. Internet connectivity is challenging so that makes simple things more challenging, like finding the chargers and a good lunch spot. We got some local dishes then went next door to make sure we were all set for our rafting trip for tomorrow. There were no issues, and we're all set.

Next, we did some road sightseeing by driving about 25 miles along roads parallel to the Colorado River. The canyon is deep and old which provided some really cool areas. Along the way we also saw some petroglyphs and quite a few people rock climbing from novice to true expert.

From there we headed back to the yurts to relax a bit before we prepared tacos for dinner with a few of our new friends. We ended up eating inside the yurt, which was very roomy because the wind is just ferocious out here! It is easy to see how erosion is caused by wind in this dry environment.