Moab!

Delicate Arch

The first weekend in May Katy and I took off for Moab, Utah. We took off work early on Friday, May 4th and headed west through the mountains, stopping in Vail for about an hour to walk around the quaint (and ritzy)  ski town where we grabbed ice cream and enjoyed the pretty weather. We arrived in Moab that evening just as the sun was setting over the red rock sandstone cliffs that surround the city. We grabbed a bite to eat at a place called Eddie McStiff's and then hit the sack early so we could be ready to hit the door running early Saturday morning. 

On Saturday we began a marathon day by eating breakfast outside at our hotel enjoying both the views and the warm weather. We then headed to Arches National Park, which houses over 2,000 natural sandstone arches. After you enter the park it is still quite a drive to get to the various hikes and scenic pull offs. It took us close to 30 minutes to drive from the entrance of the park to the world famous Delicate Arch. The Delicate Arch is a 65 foot free standing arch which is featured on Utah License plates and was also where the Olympic torch passed through during the 2002 Winter Games which were held in Salt Lake City. It is a three mile hike to see the Arch, including passing by the Frame Arch, but the trek is well worth it. 

Looking out from Frame Arch

Balance Rock

Window Arches

Turret Arches

After seeing the Delicate Arch we then hiked the two mile loop to see the Window Arches, The Turret Arch, and the Double Arch. On our way out of the park we stopped by the Delicate Rock and the Courthouse Towers to snap some pictures and take in the views. 

Mesa Arch Overlook

We then ate a packed lunch on our way from Arches National Park over to Canyonlands National Park. The two parks are separated by only 30 miles, but are starkly different in terms of scenery. Arches is full of sandstone cliffs and formations with the snow capped La Sal Mountains serving as a back drop while Canyonlands is a never ending landscape of canyons, mesas, buttes, and rivers. The Colorado and Green Rivers snake through Canyonlands and actually connects the park to the Grand Canyon! Canyonlands is one of the most remote National Parks in the country. It encompasses over 337,000 acres and it is divided into four districts. The park has few roads that navigate through its boundaries. Instead it is filled with mostly rugged and remote trails with miles of roadless back country.

Upheaval Dome

We visited the Islands in the Sky district and started off our trip with a two mile hike to the Mesa Arch, which frames one of the many canyons within the park. After our first hike we then headed to see the Upheaval Dome, an unusual area that no one is 100% certain of how it was formed, although the leading theory is that it is the site of a crater that made impact with the Earth millions of years ago. Before leaving the park we went to the Green River Overlook, a stunning view of endless canyons broken up by the winding Green River. 

Green River Overlook

After a long day of hiking, we headed back to our hotel where we soaked in the hot tub before heading to a local Mexican restaurant to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

Double O Arch

Landscape Arch

On Sunday we got up early to go hike the Devil's Garden trail in Arches National Park. The trail is an 8 mile round trip hike, but we only did six miles as we needed to get back to the hotel to shower and check out. It was still an amazing hike and one of the most memorable we have ever been on. During the hike you pass by  many arch formations, including Tunnel Arch, Pine Arch, Landscape Arch, Navajo Arch, Black Arch, and the Double O Arch.

Pine Arch

Navajo Arch

The hike is so incredible not only because of all the arches that are visible from the trail, but because of the trail itself, which is listed as a moderate to strenuous hike. This is because after the first mile of the trail you must perform moderate scrambling and rock hopping and you traverse two rock fins with steep drop offs to either side of you. The rock fins made us a little nervous the first time we crossed them because of the strong winds and just being so high up, but the panoramic views were incredible and so made the trip well worth it.  

Arches National Park

Canyonlands National Park

 

Spending the weekend in Moab and being able to make it to two National Parks was wonderful. It was a great trip and one we would love to repeat someday. When we left Utah it was sunny and in the 70s. As we drove back into Colorado and through the mountains we ran into steady snow showers and temperatures in the low 30s! Oh the joys of living in Colorado.