Woke up bright and early after a very good night’s rest. We decide to get some shopping done at Walmart before hitting the road. There are always a few things you notice you are missing a couple days in. Bins to store cords and glasses, a dish rack and a rug for the floor so we don’t track in so much dirt and sand. Oh, and that scrubber for the latrine – how did we forget that.. I also hit Lowes right next door to pick up some lumber and a saw so I can fortify the shelves I built. All the clothes keep tumbling out as we drive.
We then hit the road out of Grand Junction, CO and I notice that I have a missed call. Turns out the Jeep we have rented dropped an axel with the last customer late yesterday. They have a much smaller one, but it will mean driving back into Moab early Wednesday morning. At least the drive will be scenic.
The kids are awestruck at the red rocks as we cruise through Utah. Wendy and I are too. It is about a two hour drive this morning, easy compared to previous days. We pull into the Arches Information center and talk to one of the rangers about hikes. He spends 30 minutes with us describing each area.
One of the hikes we were looking most forward to was a ranger guided exploration of the Fiery Furnace area. Turns out this one now books up weeks and months in advance. We did not know and don’t have reservations. You can do a self guided hike, but need a back country pass and need to watch a video on the eco system. It won’t be the same without a ranger as they know all the routes. It is easy to get lost as it is a maze of small canyons, but I have a good GPS and a good sense of direction so we decide to watch the video and get a pass for Thursday.
I pick up a couple topo maps and we head into Moab to pick up the Jeep. It is a tight fit in the back for the kids, but doable until we can pick up the four door model we reserved. Wendy follows me with the kids and we head back north to Arches. The campground we are in is 18 miles deep into the park. Winding roads with switch backs and elevation climbs and dips. It takes 30-40 minutes to make the drive, but every turn offers new scenery that takes your breath away.
We get to the campground, check in with the ranger and head to the campsite. I can now see why some of the guides we read listed this as the best campground in the National Park System. Although there are no hookups, the views from our site are breathtaking. We unpack a few items, pull out all our new hiking boots and head to the restrooms to fill up backpacks with water. It is a mild 85 degrees, so probably the best day for a long hike. They are predicting 105 by Thursday.
Off to the trailhead, I set my GPS and we head off to see our first arch. Charlotte is snapping pictures all along the way.
Jackson is off trail (though still following the ranger’s instructions on not disturbing the eco system) and climbing at every chance he sees. Georgia loves her first hike on this trip. We check out Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch along with some fabulous fin formations. Just this short hike would have given you a good taste for the park. On to Landscape Arch. This is one of the most famous in the park. A 305 foot arch a couple hundred feet above you. You used to be able to hike right up under it, but a few years ago some hikers heard some thunder and a large portion of the arch came tumbling down. Hundreds of tons of boulders now sit where you used to walk. They are not sure how much longer the arch will stay up, so you now have to enjoy it from a distance.
This is the end of the easy portion of the hike. The next portion is listed as moderate and we trek on. Climbing rocks and boulders, switchbacks through tight canyons and a couple wrong turns requiring us to backtrack a few hundred years and we finally find a sign for Navajo and Partition Arches. We head up the final 0.3 miles to Navajo and sit to rest a bit. This is a smaller arch that we can walk under.
The hike back goes easy and we return to the campground with a nice hike under our belts. We rush to get dinner started as we can only run the generator until 8 PM. While Wendy fixes dinner inside, I set up the grill for some burgers. She is just finishing up at 8:08 as the camp ranger does his rounds and reminds me that it is time to shut down.
After dinner, Jackson starts a fire and then heads off with a couple boys from next door to do some climbing. The father next door has checked with the rangers about what is allowed, so off they go. We watch as they climb up some of the formations across the street.
Jackson and Friends at Sunset
They all head back for some-mores. Wendy and the girls go inside to read as although there are no mosquitoes here, the gnats are really annoying. Jackson and I stay up to watch the stars come out and sit and talk by the fire with the boys from next door. Since it is one of the longest days of the year, the stars are slow coming out, but in the end we are rewarded with a brilliant sky full of sparkling dots. We spot a satellite and then a shooting star which is a real treat.
It is getting late; we are all tired so we decide to head in for bed. Charlotte is trying to get some pictures uploaded so I am up another hour helping her. All in all, a great first day in one of our Nation’s treasures.