Arches National Park (Day 2)

Nov 15, 2008 :- The day began with a briefing of the park at the Visitor Centre. The 15 minute orientation film seemed more informative, having been to some points of interest the previous day.

I then drove to the Windows Section that has a small concentration of Arches. The trails to these Arches were short easy walks. Turret Arch, North and South Windows and Double Arch are some of the arches one gets to see in this section.

Turret Arch:-


North Window :-


South Window:-


Double Arch :-


Lower and Upper Viewpoints of the Delicate Arch provide distant views of Delicate Arch.



Most of these arches are shaped so crisply that one wonders whether these are indeed natural formations and not man made ones. Having seen, most of the park (with the exception of "Eye of the Whale Arch" and "Tower Arch" that require a drive on unpaved road or on a 4 wheel drive road) it was time to explore some areas outside the park in Moab. I headed on US 279 to an arch known as the Corona Arch. It is said that a person flew a small plane through the arch since not only is it huge but it also protrudes out and provides easy aerial access.

US 279 passes beside the Colorado river. There were numerous groups of climbers, sharpening their climbing skills right beside the highway where there were steep rock walls. There was some evidence of the fall colors along the river, although it was mid November.

From the parking lot, I took the wrong trail and headed in the incorrect direction. This hike turned out to be an extended trail, not that well marked and completely isolated, devoid of any hikers. I kept wondering where all those who had parked their cars had headed to. It took me through a dry stream right upto a waterfall in the hills but it was worth the exploration. With the landscape and views being totally in contrast with what I had read, it was time to head back to the parking lot. I did my best to avoid stepping on to cryptobiotic soil but the trail was not that well frequented and at times I was close to such patches in the rocks.

Upon reaching the parking lot, I finally had a look at the correct trail having trudged back and forth almost 3.5 to 4 miles. Seeing some folks come back that trail, I was even more determined to make it to Corona Arch, a distance of 1.5 miles one way. The trail had an initial ascent after crossing the rail tracks and then passed through a level area at a height. After traversing over a ridge one crosses a gurad rail and gets the first view of the arch in the distance. One then passes over a rock patch that had a chained rail with grooves in the rock to climb over. Next one comes across a short ladder to get over a rock ledge. Thereafter it is a smooth walk over rocky ledges to get in close proximity of the Corona Arch.





As one walks through the arch there is rock face that one can climb over and get onto the top of the arch. The rock face is completely exposed with a drop of some 800 feet, and without any hand rail but with grooves carved into the rock that one can use as hand or foot holds. I avoided any temptation to get onto the top. The hike back was in the fading evening light but hikers kept coming along the way in order to make it to the arch just before sunset.

Arches National Park (Day 2 - Part II)

Nov 14, 2008 :- The hike to Delicate Arch from the Wolfe Ranch parking area is a 3 mile round trip with an elevation gain of only 480 feet. The first one half mile is an easy walk along a well defined trail. Just beyond the Salt Wash crossing is an area where there are pertoglyphs. In the interest of time, I preferred to continue the hike rather than view the pictographs. One then approaches the slickrock and the climb becomes slightly strenous. The hike in the morning did not help either and I found that section of the hike tiring, requiring frequent halts than I had imagined. The rock cairns (piles of small stones), define the trail and help you not detour from the actual route. The trail then levels towards the top and then traverses a rock ledge as one proceeds further. As you go around it from the left you get a view of the Delicate Arch that the ledge hides.

Three to four groups of two/three had already occupied all the good spots for photography. Every change in the amount of sunlight was captured by these eager cameramen. Snow capped Lasal mountains could be seen in the distance.

The arch itself is 52 tall and is frequently seen on all custom license plates in Utah. It is formed of Estrada sandstone. In order to not deny fellow photographers the opportunity to click photographs at will, most hikers resisted the temptation to walk beneath the arch. A father and four sons, however stole the limelight by walking down the arch to enjoy the views into the valley and get some personal photographs. They were referred as the "Most Photographed Individuals" on the day by hikers around.

Most of us contined to witness the scenery around, until almost sunset. The hike back was in dim light at dusk and views towards the west were blissful. This time, I had adequate water and the lesser intensity of the evening light made things easier on the way back.

The drive back to Moab was slow with quite some cars along the road.

Arches National Park (Day 1 - Part I)

Nov 14, 2008 :- Water and ice, extreme temperatures, and underground salt movement are responsible for the sculptured rock scenery of Arches National Park. There are about 2000 cataloged arches ranging from a 3 foot opening to the Landscape Arch, the longest of them all, measuring 306 feet across.

The day began driving to the northermost portion of the park going by the Courthouse Towers.



One then passes through Rock Pinnacles constituting the Great Wall with Petrified Dunes on the other side of the road.



The road takes you down into a valley known as the Salt Valley. The formations beyond the road are known as the Fiery Furnace.



Sand Dune Arch and Broken Arch are a short hike (1.6 miles round trip) away beside the park road.



It was then time to take a short stop at the Skyline Arch, one of the spots to be at sunset.



The Devils Garden trail takes one to the largest concentration of arches in the park. It is a 4.2 mile round trip along that trail, with other byways making it about 7.2 miles round trip. The hike takes one through rugged, rocky terrain with short steep slopes up and down. An arch known as the Wall Arch collpased recently in August of 2008.

Tunnel Arch



Pine Tree Arch



Landscape Arch :- It is only 6 feet at the narrowest point. A portion at the top corner collapsed a few decades back. One never knows how long some of these arches would continue to exist. However, new ones are being formed at about the same rate probably slower than that of existing ones being destroyed by human and natural causes.



The remnants of the Wall Arch are just beyond the Landscape Arch. The terrain becomes really steep beyond the Wall Arch and continues right upto the Double O Arch.

Partition Arch



Navajo Arch



Double O Arch



Dark Angel : A climber made it to the top just before I reached this point. His screams of delight and accomplishment could be heard from a distance in the desolate land.



Private Arch : This arch is along the Primitive Loop trail, back to Landscape Arch from Double O Arch. It was an extra 1.5 mile trip back along this trail. I had run out of water and preferred to take the trail I had come along.



By the time, I was back at about 2:30 pm to the parking lot in Devils' Garden, I had hiked almost 6 miles and was extremely tired. It was time for quick snack and a brief rest. The plan was then to get to Delicate Arch, the most famous of the Arches in the park. It is an ideal point to be at sunset.
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Saguaro National Park

Nov 1 & 2, 2008 :- Saguaro (Sa-wah-roh) National Park is located close to Tucson Arizona. It is split into two distinct parts, the Tucson Mountain District (West of Tucson) and the Rincon Mountain District (East of Tucson). Both areas are a short drive from the airport. The park itself is characterized by the Giant Saguaro cacti, a National symbol of the American West but Arizona in particular. This area is a part of the Sonoran Desert, usually a hot and dry place that does experience ocassional snow in the cold winter months. Some of these giants may grow to a height of 45 ft, can have a girth of 10 ft, may live for about 150 years and weight about 5-8 tons.

The screen at the amphitheater at the Tucson Mountain District rolls up and provides a splendid view of the cacti behind the Visitor Center. Short hikes (less than a mile each) on the Hohokam Loop Road allows one to walk among these towering cacti and view other flora of this desert. The hot conditions did not inspire me to go along one of the longer trails. Sendero Esperanza trail takes one to Amole Peak after a short walk of 1.5 miles. Instead, I preferred the short walk in the Cactus Garden, and others like the Desert Discovery Trail, Valley View Overlook Trail and the Signal Petroglyphs Trail.

Don't miss the 52 minute video shown at 1pm at the visitor center in the Rincon Mountain District. It is exclusively about the Saguaro giants and the life that it supports. This area has short trails like the Desert Ecology Trail, Freeman Homestead Trail and Cactus Forest Trail. These are accessible along the 8 mile Cactus Forest Loop Drive. The Freeman Homestead Trail takes you closer to an area with the largest concentration of massive saguaros. It supposedly has one with 30 arms jutting around the main trunk (I couldn't locate it).

Drive along the Catalina Highway through the nearby Coronado National Forest to experience beautiful valley vistas and sunset views. It is a 25 mile drive that takes you from a height of 3000 ft to 9000 ft.

Visit Colossal Cave close to the park in the Rincon Mountain district. It is a cavern that was formed 12-20 million years ago but now is dry or dormant. Complete lack of water results in the formations not growing anymore. It is different from most other caves since it always is at or around 70 degrees F, no matter what the season. Take the 50 minute tour through the cave to see formations of the stalactites, stalagmites and helictities.
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