Moab in March is Magical

We made a quick weekend dash to Moab last weekend with the boys in tow, but not our college girl, who was off in California on an Alt Break,😟and who I missed a lot.  We were determined to show Urun, our live in student-teacher from France, just how special that place is, and it did not disappoint. Temperatures hovered between 35 and 55 degrees, perfect for hiking without breaking too much of a sweat; the Lasals were covered in deep snow; and we had blue-bird days throughout.  Just amazing.

We stayed at Red Cliff's Lodge, about 12 miles out of the city, but right on the Colorado River, with beauty all around.  We had to get out very early Saturday morning because the road along the river canyon was being closed to traffic for the Moab Half Marathon, so we headed to the Jailhouse Cafe in town for a sit down breakfast.  Then we drove into Arches National Park, deciding to tackle the hike past Landscape Arch to Double O Arch, which Kathleen and I had not seen since we were first married thirty years ago.  I found out just how long the fall is from 25 to 55 years of age, as I am easily in the worst shape of my life right now with knees and a back that seem to genuinely hate me.  But hikes like this provide serious motivation to try and improve despite them, as it was just stunning.

But first, of course, we stopped by Balanced Rock for a short walk-around and quintessential picture.  Here are a couple additional photos of that amazing formation.

From there we headed to the parking lot for the hike to Double O Arch.  The first stop on that hike was Landscape Arch, which lost a huge chunk fairly recently, and may not be around for our future grandkids to see, who knows.

Here is our little group in front of the arch, with Urun center right. You can see from our attire, it was brisk. None of us regretted having our jackets and fleece.

If you look at the right side, you can the bouldered remains of the fall, and where they fell from is clearly shown by the lighter sections on the right.  I remember walking up on top of this arch thirty years ago -- needless to say those days are past.  The Park Service has now fenced off access, and I am glad they have.

 Aldy stuck with his slow old man on this hike, even though he is fond of saying "human interaction is highly over-rated." Not for me when I get to hike with him though. (Keegs pressed ahead with his mom and Urun, who were moving faster).

Passing Landscape Arch, we scrambled to the top of one of the quintessential sandstone fins that give this park its geology, and hiked along them for miles. The views were remarkable, even if the wind was cold and biting.  Here are a few pics.

After a couple of miles up on top of the world, we arrived at our destination.

After spending a half hour or so wandering around the arches, we began the trip back. The views that greeted us were again stunning -- it felt like following an orange brick road to a sapphire city in the clouds, with blue day turning the distant snowy LaSals a shade of sky blue.  We were mesmerized.

We finally began the descent back to Landscape Arch and the parking lot. It was slippery in a couple of spots, particularly for Keegs, who only had some very slippery keds, and for any of us whose knees refuse to bend without sharp pains in our patella tendons (damnable knees), but we left feeling like we had really seen something. It was a great hike--highly recommended.

We ate sandwiches in the parking lot, and then drove over to the Windows area of the park for a few short walks in that amazing collection of arches -- North and South Window, Turret, and Double Arch.  Here are a few pics of our ventures there.

All told we hiked about 7 miles this day. As the sun set, we headed out of the Park and into town, where we ate at Arches Thai, which had excellent food.  From there, we headed back to the hotel, to take some Vitamin I (Ibuprofen) and hit the sack.

The next morning we ate breakfast at the hotel, overlooking the river in their great dining room, and then headed into Canyonlands National Park, for a short hike on Grand View trail to what I believe is one of the best views in all of Utah.  Here are some pics, you can let me know if you disagree.

It was a little hazy at mid-day, but stunning none-the-less.

One of the amazing aspects of this place is how quiet it is.  You are literally on an island in the sky, and it is amazingly peaceful, notwithstanding your fellow hikers.

Urun was thrilled. She said "thank you for bringing me to this place!" and spent a lot of time sitting and just contemplating.

The plateau is high enough that there was still snow on it in places, and not just on the Henry and Abajo mountains off in the distance.

It has the most bang for the buck  (a short one mile hike) of any place I know, but may not be a favorite of acrophobics.

Along the way out we stopped at a few overlooks and stops, including one for this canyon:

and Mesa Arch, which really needs to be seen at sunrise, but is still really cool in mid-day.

Canyonlands is such an overlooked park (no pun intended -- really). More people should spend time here, but I for one am glad they don't.

After lunch and a few more overlooks we headed into Arches, excited to show Urun the "coup de grace" (that is french, Urun) -- a hike to Delicate Arch bathed in late afternoon light.  It was, as anyone who has been there knows, a religious experience.

Keegan was quite the hiker throughout our trip, always sticking with the leader or leading out. He really did well.

Looking through that centuries old window feels like looking across time, into unknown eternities both past and future. It is truly a humbling and awe-inspiring experience.  Urun was again thrilled. When I asked her to rate the day on a scale of one to ten, she immediately said "twenty."  And that is how it felt to me as well.  Two of the best hikes in Utah in one day? Sign me up any time.

We headed out of the park just as the sun set, leaving us with these sublime parting views.

It felt timeless and peaceful, the origin of light and the perennial moon kissing the remains of an ancient sea turned to sand, and then stone, by eons and the physics of planetary motion. This is not a place you will forget once you have been here.  We headed back to the hotel for a restful night, with one last hike planned for the morning, before returning to our short and busy lives.

That hike was to Corona Arch, of Devin Supertramp Worlds Largest Rope Swing fame (or infamy, depending upon your perspective).  It is a relatively short if initially steep hike, but worth every effort.  I don't think I have seen a more massive arch outside of Rainbow Bridge.  Here are the pictures:

The aptly named "Paul Bunyon's Potty," a nearby pothole arch.

Looking up from under the arch was pretty cool.

This photo gives you a little perspective of the size of the thing.  "YUUUUGE" as our color-appropriate president would say, if he ever bothered to come out this way (that was not really an invitation Donald -- just an observation that the terrain would go great with your skin tones :-).

It was a fitting end to a great trip.  I think the kids enjoyed it, and I know I did.  We live in such a magical place, it is hard not to be just awed and grateful for the wonder of it all. We are lucky Peeps!