Day 24: Tuesday, May 6th
Arches National Park
Today, we spent the day driving and walking thru various parts of Arches National Park. It was a beautiful day, but windy.
We started with this inclined drive up to a view point of the Moab Fault.
This is the Visitor's Center down below.
The Fault runs on the other side of the road and looks like a trail.
Park Avenue formation, named so because it looks like the NY city skyline.
This one is called the "Three Gossips."
Reminds me of the musical, "Musicman."
Remember, "Pick-a-little, pick-a-little, pick-a-little, pick-a-little,
pick, pick, pick, pick, etc....
Here's another view of them. Looks like they have sun bonnets on.
Beautiful flowers growing everywhere.
Nana and Adam heading off to see the views.
The garden of eden.
Looking toward the South Window.
From their website:
"Watch your Step
Biological soil crusts are a very important
part of the park’s ecosystem. They prevent
soil erosion, absorb and hold water, and
provide nutrients to plants. One footstep
can kill hundreds of years of growth.
Crusts are formed slowly by living
organisms and their by-products, creating a
fragile surface crust of soil particles bound
together by organic material.
Covering nearly all soil surfaces in the
desert, biological soil crust is almost invisible
at early stages of growth but over time
appears lumpy and black.
Please help us protect fragile crusts by
walking on designated trails, bare rock or
streambeds."
Here's a sample of biological soil. Really cool up close.
Walking up to the North and South Arches in The Windows section.
The Turret Arch.
Adam taking a break.
To give perspective on how large the Arch was, Natalie is in the foreground.
Nana and Paw walking back up the primitive trail. See the rocks lining the path?
I learned the Juniper tree will restrict water and nutrients to certain parts of its branches during periods of drought and let those branches die off in order to protect and save the rest of the tree. It can be blown over during severe winds and keep growing in the new position, giving them these strange shapes.
Rock cairns everywhere.
Taken from the backside of the north Arch looks different.
No crowds either.
Adam making his own version of a rock cairn.
Paw loves these Juniper trees. He's thinking about what shape of bowls he could make with these gnarly branches.
Looking back across the parking area to the Double Arches opposite.
Up close of the Turret Arch, to give perspective of how large these arch formations are, Paw in the foreground.
View of both North and South Arches.
Up close view of the staining on the arch from weathering and mineral content.
The paved roads leading into the park is about 18 miles in length, Enough time to see the countryside.
Great vistas.
Views from Panorama Point.
The rocks in the distance really are green from the lack of oxygen in the soil.
Heading up to the section called Delicate Arch. We saw it from a distance because the hike would have been 3 miles round trip and some of the group were getting tired at this point in the day. We opted to view from the viewing point instead.
Others of us will hike to it later on in the week.
More beautiful flowers with burnt rocks in the background.
Taking a moment with Nana.
Adam jumped off a rock earlier last week and hurt his feel (probably bruised his heel), so he's not wanted to do much hiking.
The Fiery Furnance.
Named so not because it's hot, but because of the sun makes the rocks glow in the afternoon sunltght.
There is a great hike into these sections that must be guided. Natalie and I will hike with out guide on Thursday morning. Really looking forward to it.
Blooming cactus.
Just in case you didn't know where we were.
