Vagabond Tales- Beautiful Arches But Our Arches are Aching

April 5, 2021. Moab, Utah. Arches National Park

Up at the crack of dawn, we rode into the gates of the park at 7:15 AM. We did not see all 2,000 arches but our feet feel like they have! New record- 18,205 steps which equaled 6.4 miles and a whopping 39 floors.

Our first stop was the Balanced Rock. There was a chill in the air as we started out this morning but it heated up very fast!

The Delicate Arch was on our agenda next. More mileage to travel and it was rated moderate. There’s moderate and there’s moderate. This one proved to be easier than yesterday’s! We enjoyed seeing the Wolfe Ranch from 1898, complete with root cellar. Also a nearby rock wall had some beautiful petroglyphs which shows the Native American was here long before the Wolfe’s. We did have to go over 1 slick rock that was huge and one at the arch. If you wanted a picture of yourself by it you needed to climb over a rock wall and make your way across another slick rock. Perhaps the pictures will demonstrate it better than I can explain.

Wolfe’s home
We were able to get quite close to these pictographs! Remarkable!
This is the slick rock. Harder to go up than down. No trail markers…just follow the crowd. For hopefully, the easiest way.
A narrow two way passage with a shear drop on the other side. Have I mentioned heights aren’t my friend?
We arrived! A climb over the rocks we are sitting on and a careful walk to the left and you could have your picture taken in the arch.
Can you see Harry with his arms up in the middle of the arch? I chose not to go down but would be the photographer. His part was scary but my part was difficult. The picture below shows a woman who actually was in every shot of mine. She hopped in front and was trying to get someone to take a picture of her holding up the arch!
Harry is still in this picture but you can see my problem! 😄

Coming back down, this raven flirted with me! I talked to him in the tree and he came down to strut around!

The rest of the pictures are from other hikes albeit much shorter trails than The Delicate Arch.

Double Arch
Many are unnamed.
The Turret.
North and South Windows.
Can you see brave old me standing in the North Window.
One of our favorites…Elephants on Parade!
Just some flowers along the way. I spared you my lizard picture!

We will be packing up and heading to The Black Canyon of the Gunnison tomorrow.

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10 thoughts on “Vagabond Tales- Beautiful Arches But Our Arches are Aching”

  1. Glad you made it in today. Really nice photos. The “North and South Windows ” may be the one Reid called E.T. years ago.

    Reply

      1. Saw some special pink azaleas on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but photo with my old fashioned camera so hard to share until I have a pdf of scrapbook page. Maybe tomorrow.

  2. Wow,
    I have just caught up with all of your posts. It has been a busy few weeks here, but I finally sat down long enough to get caught up. Your pictures and adventures are always great. It is like reading a book, that takes you away to places that you have never been, but you feel like you have by reading about them. That is what you do with your blogs. Thank you for taking the time to share all of your adventures and your great pictures.
    Stay safe,
    Our love and prayers

    Reply

    1. I have thought so many times how much you and Dave would love these places! Perhaps, not the pace we are having to do it so we can make it home for my eyes! But you would love it!❤️

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    1. They are beautiful set against the blue, blue sky. I haven’t modified these pictures in any way! True colors! Where there are plants, it is green here, too. Just very few and far between! Love you!💓

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