10/30 Day 16

I went to bed pretty late last night and so I woke up pretty late and was sort of hangover tired.  So today was a day for short hikes and roadside attractions.  I went down Potash Rd. to see some petroglyphs.  The first ones were great but the second ones were quite faded and heavily marred by vandalism, probably idiot kids who think someone will give a shit that they were there.  I'm pissed, can you tell?

There is also a pull-off to see some slabs with dinosaur tracks in them.  Some were very distinct and obvious but others required a second look.

The largest and most distinct tracks have been damaged by attempts to make plaster casts of them.

After that, I hiked up to Corona arch on Bri's suggestion.  It was a fairly short hike, but enough to shake off any remaining crappy feelings from last night.  I really liked Corona and its surroundings were really lovely.

I then got back onto 191 to see a pair of mesas Hester told me about.  They are blue from the copper in the soil and one has streaks of pink throughout from iron content.  Again, totally lovely and worth checking out.  I also saw some free BLM campsites, so that's something to remember for next time.  Also for next time is the Gemini Bridges.  I don't think the Aveo could have made the trip, but getting there by ATV or mountain bike would be a blast.

10/28 & 10/29 Days 14 & 15

Now I can say I saw Landscape Arch before it fell.  Which it hasn't.  Yet.

Not much to report about yesterday.  I finally got my "in-town day" and I spent much of it sort of wishing I were out hiking instead.  Shopping for souvenirs is pretty wearying and most of the shops carry the same exact things as others.  I found some good stuff for Mom and Dad, but I have no idea what to get for Kevin.  He doesn't do anything outdoorsy, doesn't read much, etc.  Nothing seems like anything he'd be interested in.  I'm not sure what to get Sarah Louise either but I feel like it's got to be something good.  I bought a couple of rings at the rock shop (probably spent too much money there) and a locally-found geode, but I may keep the latter for myself and she may not care for either of the former.  The rock shop was really cool, though.  The proprietor is a local rock hound who had an iguanadon named after him and keeps the place more like a museum than a store.  There were all kinds of amazing things in there like actual dinosaur bones, massive slices of petrified wood, meteorites, rare pyritized ammonites, and minerals, crystals, stones, and fossils of all kinds.  It was a really amazing place.

"Since 1991, three slabs of sandstone measuring 30, 47, and 70 feet long have fallen from the thinnest section of Landscape Arch, prompting the Park Service to close the trail that once passed beneath it."  And one day, presumably after Landscape is long gone, the little alcove behind the arch may become a beautiful arch itself.  Erosion in action!

Alas, poor Wall Arch, it is no more.

Wall Arch, located just a few hundred feet from where the trail passes Landscape Arch, fell suddenly and unexpectedly in August 2008.

Today I decided to hike the Devil's Garden trail in arches which is a 7+ mile semi-loop and features famous formations such as the 200 ft. Landscape Arch, and the Double-O Arch, which is one arch above a smaller hole in the rock.  Given that it was a Saturday afternoon, the trail was pretty crowded leading up to Landscape and a little way beyond but the trail gets a lot more primitive and difficult the further out it goes.  The crowd thinned out quite a bit after just a few miles and I was able to enjoy the beautiful scenery in peace.  It was overcast for most of my hike but the sky began clearing up in time for the sunset.

This photo is like a page from an activity book.  "How many arches can you find in the picture?"

The underside of a particularly sturdy-looking arch

Fiery Furnace from a higher vantage point

After showering at the hostel, I dressed up in some thrift store finds and went out as Maru to Frankie D's with Brianne and Jay.  Somebody guessed that I was Schrödinger's cat, and I couldn't decide if that was more or less recognizable than a Japanese cat famous for jumping into and out of boxes.  It didn't matter anyway because I ditched the box pretty quickly and was just a cat for most of the night.  We moved on to Woody's before long, where many of the hostelers were partying.  Kristel came by the bar where Bri and I were sitting and we ended up chatting for a while.  It was fun to get out and hang with friends in a different setting than I've been used to lately.  However, the best part of the night was when Bri was talking to a friend and suddenly turned to me and asked, "do you want to go canyoneering on Monday?"  Hell yes I did!  So Bri and Andrew and I are going to scale Elephant Butte, the highest point in Arches.  I can't wait.

More Fiery Furnace

Double-O

The Three Gossips

Park Avenue

10/27 Day 13

We weren't sure at the time, but Google tells me this is Birthday Cake Butte.

Today was kind of low-key.  Hester wanted to hike to a ruin in Canyonlands called the "False Kiva" (kiva-like structure, but actual use unknown) so she could paint it.  The hike is a fairly intense 3-mile out-and-back but we got some great views of a giant butte (either Teapot or Birthday Cake) and the white rims of the canyons below us.

 

False Kiva, in spite of being omitted from the park map and guide, isn't the most well-kept secret anymore.

The ruins weren't anything too spectacular but the alcove in which it's located was pretty cool.  On our way out, Hester suggested stopping to do the short loop to Mesa Arch, which sounded good to me.  It's a fairly broad and low one but the view of the La Sals and the canyons below was really impressive.  The setting sun turned the La Sals purple and much of the surrounding landscape pink, blue, and gold.

The arch itself is not so impressive, but . . .

. . . It frames an incredible vista.

Since this trip I've been seeing photos of Mesa Arch and the view beyond everywhere.  It graced the cover of Backpacker Magazine just a few months ago.

As we got back to the parking lot, the sky in the west was full of blazing pink clouds and was stunningly beautiful.  It's almost impossible not to have an incredible day here unless you stay inside all day, it seems.