Oops & Arches National Park

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Oops - - yesterday I posted a picture of Gena and I and labeled it Charlie & Kerry - - I wrote the caption before I loaded the picture and clicked on the wrong photo - - will include the right one in this blog.

We awoke this morning to a mostly sunny but VERY windy day. Since we didn't have far to drive and were only going to one park, we slept in. Kerry fixed bacon and eggs for breakfast - - YUM YUM !! After a stop at the grocery, we arrived at the Visitors Center about 11:30. This park is filled with hugh sandstone monoliths that have been carved by the elements into beautiful cliffs, tall spires, and really interesting arches and windows. Several of them require long hikes to see -- we didn't do those! But many can be seen from overlooks or at the end of a very short hike. We were able to take a bunch of good photos. Bob walked a short trail to see the Sand Dune Arch. It is located in the middle of several large "fins" (large slender vertical slabs of sandstone that have become separated from each other by erosional forces.) The high wind was funneled down the gap between the fins and walking between them was like walking in a venturi sand blaster. In the picture of the arch, sand can be seen swirling around at the base of the arch. At one overlook, we were able to see several windows and arches, including one double arch where the two arches shared a common end and formed a V if you looked down from above. We got to see the famous balancing rock which really looks like it should fall over and a bunch of much smaller rocks that appeared to be even more out of balance. Definitely a "must see" - - If you haven't seen it before, add it to your bucket list!

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Photos

Charlie & Kerry Magee
Picture that was supposed to be in yesterday's Blog. They are in the Needles area of Canyon Lands NP

Spectacles
Twin windows in a sandstone ridge in Arches NP

Balancing Rock
Arches NP

Twin Arches
Arches NP

Delicate Arch
Perhaps the most well known of the Arches in Arches NP

Sand Dune Arch
A small, well hidden arch during a high wind

Park Avenue
An interesting formation at the top of the grade coming up from the Visitors Center

Comments

[K & C]

Great pictures, Bob