After such an amazing first day of the tour, it was hard to imagine that the scenery and experiences would just keep getting better! At 6:30 am we were eating breakfast at the hotel so we would be in the van ready to tour Arches National Park at 7:00 am.
Arches National Park
Access to this park has been limited in the summer of 2022. Visitors must have a timed reservation for the park to gain access. As we were part of a tour this didn’t apply to us, but it was great to have smaller crowds at some of the most popular spots.
Four of our group had chosen to hike up to Delicate Arch – a 2+ hour return hike much of it on sheetrock and without shade with over 480 Ft of elevation. I learned that the last part of the hike, even before you could see the arch, was a narrow ledge with a very steep drop-off. I am not great with heights without some kind of guard rail. I decided not to go as I was afraid that I would get up to this section and not complete the hike to the Arch. We dropped off Mick, Scott, Aiden and Gus at the trailhead and wished them luck!
Joe drove the rest of us to a viewpoint where we could see Delicate Arch (about a mile away) and take some photos. There were quite a few people enjoying the up close views.
For the less adventurous, Joe dropped us off at the Park Avenue Trail for a 45 minute hike ending at the Courthouse Towers Viewpoint. We descended a flight of fairly steep stairs to the canyon floor. It is said that the walls of the canyon reminded early visitors of the tall buildings of large cities (like New York), hence the name. There are many interesting formations along this trail which are part of the Courthouse Towers. Parts of the trail featured wavy formations which remind us that Utah was once underwater. We met a park ranger along the path. She was a former teacher who decided she wanted to work outdoors. Good for her! A most enjoyable hike and a great alternative to the hike to Delicate Arch (in my opinion). Poor Joe, our tour guide, has not completed this hike as he always needs to drive the van to the other end of the trail to pick up the hikers. I would have been happy to walk out and back!
We drove back to the Delicate Arch trailhead to welcome the boys back from their hike. They all said it was amazing and they were glad they did it…but two of them said the narrow part of the trail was very scary.
Next stop was Balanced Rock. This formation is 128 ft (39 m) tall. It’s a geological formation where the “rock” is attached to an eroding pedestal giving the illusion of balancing. Eventually the 3600 ton rock will fall due to erosion, but it may take several hundred years to happen. Joe is selling tickets for this future phenomenon…in case anyone is interested.
A short distance down the road we visited the Windows Section of the park. There are four arch formations in this area. Craig and I decided to walk to the furthest one first – Double Arch. Double Arch is an impressive feature—the tallest (112 ft/34 m) and second-longest (144 ft/44 m) arch in the park. You can certainly see it from the parking loop, but it is much more impressive up close.
We had time before meeting back at the van, so we did a quick loop of the three remaining arches North and South Window and Turret Arch. It is amazing to see these 4 arches within 2 square miles. Lots of steps and sometimes uneven paths…and beautiful views. Made it back to the van within a few minutes of the deadline, although I managed to take a hard fall off the sidewalk, bouncing off a wooden fence. No major harm.
Lunch and a fortunate discovery
After a full morning of hiking and arch viewing, we returned to Moab for lunch at Sweet Cravings Baker6 & Bistro. Delish sandwiches and wraps, complete with a small side salad and a “crave of the day” treat. While at the restaurant, I was able to retrieve a voice mail. Turns out it was AAA (American Auto Association). My wallet had been found and turned into a Ranger at the Island in the Sky. They had tracked me down through my BCAA card in my wallet. How do you spell r-e-l-i-e-f? I was elated. I asked Joe if it was possible to go to the Visitors Centre at Canyonlands and he generously offered to drive me there. The rest of the group was happy to hear of my good fortune. They went back to the hotel for a little rest, swim, shopping etc. Craig, Joe and I headed back to Canyonlands – about and hour and twenty minutes return. The Ranger at the park entrance was aware of my found wallet and I sprinted into the Visitor Centre to retrieve it and offer my undying gratitude. Everything was in the wallet including about $250 cash. This renewed my faith in people doing the right thing! Definitely made for a most enjoyable rest-of-the vacation.
Petroglyphs
Back to the hotel to pick up the rest of the group to head just outside of Moab, along the Colorado River to see some petroglyphs on a canyon wall on Highway 279. The ancient art is from two cultural periods (Archaic 6,000 – 1,000 BC and Fremont 450 – 1300 AD). They are quite high on the sandstone walls which is a testament to the amount of erosion over the centuries. Thankfully, they are not in close reach to those viewing them, which helps to preserve them. Some of the art looks like aliens! Bonus was the view of the Colorado river directly across from this site.
Some looked like aliens 
Like a line of dancers 
There are sometimes climbers on these sandstone cliffs 
Colorado River
Back to Moab. Everyone was on their own for dinner. Craig and I had a bit of a wander along the main street and we settled on gelato from the Food Truck Park for dinner after a recommendation from Joe who was just exiting with his treat. The back to the hotel to get rested for another early morning.
Next Up – Day 3 Goblin State Park, Capital Reef National Park
