Arches NP (Delicate Arch Trail)

Posted from Moab, UT    (Click on Pics to Enlarge)

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On Saturday we returned to Arches National Park to hike the Delicate Arch Trail.  You can actually see the Delicate Arch via two routes.  You can drive to the end of the paved road and take a short hike up to the Upper and Lower Delicate Arch Viewing Points or you can hike 3.0 miles roundtrip up to the arch across slickrock and steep climbs.

Of course, you probably knew which route we chose already.  There were a bunch of folks out on the longer trail on this Saturday.  Actually, a bit more than I like when hiking, but hey, when you start midday that's what happens.

The first half mile or so really wasn't too taxing, but then it got a bit steeper.  I'm not doing any type of photo effect in this picture.  It really was this steep.

The hardest (read heart-pounding) part of the entire trail was the uphill climb across a pretty large expanse of slickrock.  We stopped to take lots of pictures in this section.  (That's code for stopping to catch our breath.)

We finally made it to the top after walking along a narrow ledge area.  The first glimpse of Delicate Arch was truly impressive.

Here's a bit closer picture of the arch. Notice the size of the people nearby for scale.  I believe this is the arch used on the Utah state license plate.

It's hard to express what a "neat" area this is up here.  Just below the arch is a huge basin area. It's not really "hikeable" from this position as the slickrock is steep and there is no real way to safely traverse it.

This is the view looking north from the rocks surrounding the arch.

Here's a better look at the arch from rocks slightly higher on the north side.

This is the area where the previous picture was taken, and also the rocks where we decided to stop and eat lunch.  The temperature was in the lower 80's and there was a nice breeze blowing.

We finally pulled ourselves away from this beautiful location and began the walk back to the trailhead.  On the return trip, there is a small detour trail which takes you to a rock wall showing some Ute petroglyphs. Interesting to look at, but the nearby sign could only narrow down their origins to between 1650 and 1850. It would seem that a better estimation of creation would be possible.

Excellent hike!  We really enjoyed this one.  The next post will include an even "neater" hike. Stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by to take a look!

Dead Horse Point State Park

Posted from Moab, UT  (Click on Pics to Enlarge)

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For additional pictures on this park,  click HERE.
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On Friday we decided to take a break from Arches National Park and branch out a bit to see other attractions in the area.  We had been referred to Dead Horse Point State Park by several blog readers, so off we went. This Utah state park is located off of Rt. 313, the same route you'd take to enter the northern  section of Canyonlands National Park.

Ok, before I get into today's blog and pictures, you're probably wondering how this park got its' name.  I know I was.  Let me just cite the Wikopedia origin of the name.  This is also the story put forth in the visitor's center at the park.

From Wikopedia:
According to one legend, around the turn of the century the point was used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesa top. Cowboys rounded up these horses, herded them across the narrow neck of land and onto the point. The neck, which is only 30-yards-wide, was then fenced off with branches and brush.
This created a natural corral surrounded by precipitous cliffs straight down on all sides, affording no escape. Cowboys then chose the horses they wanted and let the culls or broomtails go free. One time, for some unknown reason, horses were left corralled on the waterless point where they died of thirst within view of the Colorado River, 2,000 feet below.

First, a trip to the visitor's center was in order to get an overview of the park and pick up a trail map.

We initially decided to just hike the East Rim Trail and return the same way to the visitor's center because it was only 1.5 miles each direction. By the time we got to the Point, we changed our minds and took the 2.5 mile West Rim Trail back.  I'm glad we did because of the different views. Here's Karen starting out on the trail.

The first views we had over the east rim were pretty impressive. The blue ponds in the distance are potash ponds.

As we neared the Point, a re-created brush line has been set in place to show how the cowboys closed off the area to enclose the wild horses.  Remember, the area is separated from the main plateau by an area only about 30 feet in width.

Rather than show multiple pictures looking off the edge of the Point I shot a short video to give everyone a better feeling for the depth and distance of this area.

           (Video best viewed in full screen and 1080p resolution.)

Of course, if not interested in hiking, you can drive all the way to the end of the Point.  There were a couple of tour buses which had just "unloaded" prior to our arrival.  There was a pretty neat looking restored RV in the lot.  Anyone have an idea who made this?  All of the identifying decals and maker marks had been removed.

Here's a shelter up near the observation point.  It was a nice shady place to eat lunch.

Soon it was time to begin the trek back to the visitor's center. We chose to take the West Rim Trail for the different views.

We encountered only one other couple along the entire hike back.  The views were excellent.

Here's a picture of Karen with the Colorado River far below in the rear.

The next two pictures were taken from the West Rim Overlook.  This was a HUGE solid piece of slickrock overlooking a great expanse.

This strange rock formation was positioned on the edge of the slickrock.  I'm not sure how it was formed, but interesting to look at nonetheless.

I'll end today's blog with a panorama view of Shafer Canyon.

Thanks for stopping by to take a look!