Another gorgeous day here at Arches.
We spent the morning looking out our back window at the various birds and critters that have been attracted to our feeders and birdbath.
The wildlife was in the early morning shadows, but I took pics anyway through the dirty window. :)
We had a Red-shafted Flicker, ...
a Spotted Towhee, ...
a Dark-eyed Junco skating on the frozen birdbath waiting for it to melt.
One of our many Hopi Chipmunks.
Did you know that there are lots of ground squirrels, but it can only be a chipmunk if it has striping on its face? :)
And last but not least, we have an American Goldfinch in winter plumage.
This guy is always on the feeder. He's very picky and throws the seeds he doesn't like on the ground for the other animals.
In addition to those, we had Scrub Jays, White-breasted Nuthatches, Cottontails, Jack Rabbits, and another woodpecker that was a bit too quick for us. It took a little while, but we now have our own little nature preserve. :)
Other than watching out our bedroom window, Linda proofed recipes and did some Rally organization. And I worked on a couple new website pages.
Jan & GC went into Moab. They stopped by to see if we needed anything on their way out. Around noon, we decided it was too pretty to hang around the cabin on our last day off this week. How about a hike?
We've hiked almost all the trails here. But we still hadn't done one of the most popular - Delicate Arch.
It's a mile and a half in and a mile and a half back. No big deal, right? Well, we soon learned that it is a mile and a half of walking up and up and up.
It's an elevation change of 480 feet from the parking lot, back over Linda's shoulder, ...
to the arch. It's a tiring stretch for sure.
The first part of the trail isn't real exciting. It's in full sun exposure up slickrock for quite a distance. It requires a rest stop or two. :)
But the last half mile starts getting interesting.
I scrambled up to this little arch ....
and was rewarded with an incredible view.
Then it was just a short walk on a ledge ...
and then, around the corner, it opens up to one of the most recognized symbols in Utah - Delicate Arch.
Wow!
Linda decided to hike down under the arch for a photo from a different angle.
You can barely see her on the right side as the arch dwarfs her.
Beyond the arch is just a fall away into what looks like an abyss.
We hung out there for awhile. One last shot before heading back down.
It's hard to get a photo of the arch with no people in it as it is one of the most popular destinations in the park. :)
It was much easier going down.
At the bottom of the trail behind an old homestead known as Wolfe Ranch, there are some nice petroglyphs.
After that, we headed back to the Jeep. For a slideshow of all of our photos from our Delicate Arch hike, click on the link below:
Back at the cabin, we got a phone call. We had a message from Ken & Fran, long-time RV-Dreams readers (from before we went on the road). They were in Moab for tonight, and were wanting to get together.
Since we had to start our shift tonight at 8:00, they would have to come to us. So they did. :)
Jan & GC arrived with some milk, bottled water, and a bottle of wine they picked up at a Moab winery. Wineries in Utah? Who knew? :)
Ken & Fran arrived shortly thereafter. We sat and chatted for about an hour. They call themselves semi-full-timers. :)
Then we all gathered at Jack & Danielle's for a campfire and our "shift change". With an almost full moon and the temperture hovering around 50, it was an absolutely beautiful night.
No flashlights or headlamps necessary. This place is magical under a bright moon.
After awhile Ken & Fran departed with hugs and handshakes from everyone. Jan & GC were not far behind so they could let out their aging dachsund, Harley.
Since the campground was full, we figured we wouldn't have much to do this evening. But there was a little flurry of late check-ins in the reserved sites, and we had one late walk-in group begging for a site.
So we squeezed them into a reserved site where the folks hadn't shown up for two days. "Now you will have to vacate if this person shows up." They were willing to take their chances. :)
I would have too in their shoes. It was simply too pretty a night to leave. :)
When we hiked up to Delicate Arch on May 30, 2003 it was definately warmer than your hike. In the picture I took that included us sitting on the "fence" with the arch in the background my shirt definately showed that it was a warm climb - and we started about 9-10:00. http://www.picvault.info/images/537072085_P5313839.JPG
Posted by: Tom W | Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Howard & Linda,
At one time in my life I was able to walk, run, etc. now I am confined to using a cane just to get around even in the house. I really appreciate your blog and the great photos you post. This gives us an opportunity to see and take these trips with you. Keep up the great work.
Love ya both......:)
Posted by: Lowell Nichols | Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 11:13 AM
OK, you've done Delicate by day. You now know your way. Full moon is nearly here. Now, pack the thermos, pack the bride and do it at SUNSET to see the MOONRISE over the arch. Romantically spectacular. Easy hike back - the moon is so bright you almost do not need headlamps.
Posted by: jeff | Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 04:36 PM