After getting the motorhome brakes checked out in Durango, we decided to head further west to Moab, Utah instead of further north over 3 more high passes through the mountains of Colorado.
The temperature in Moab was about 90 degrees when we arrived mid-afternoon, quite a shock from the 60's and 70's we enjoyed in the Durango area. After finding the local visitors' center, we planned our next day of sightseeing.
Arches National Park is located about 5 miles from Moab. We got an early start so Ann, our chief photographer, could take advantage of the morning light. The red rocks were vibrant as the morning sun shone brightly.
Water and ice, extreme temperatures, and underground salt movement are responsible for the sculptured rock scenery of Arches National Park. At every vista we stopped, the views seemed more and more breathtaking. There are over 2,500 known arches ranging in size from 3 feet, the minimum necessary to be considered an arch, to 306 feet base to base. Landscape Arch is pictured below--306 ft. across.
There have been many cowboy movies, including four movies starring John Wayne, filmed in this area, as well as many commercials and music videos. Maybe you will recognize some of our photos. The terrain ranged from desert-like...
to monstrous red rock formations. The formation shown in the two photos below is called Park Avenue because it reminds you of standing among the skyscrapers in a large city such as New York.
Most of the rocks in Arches National Park owe their brilliant color to the presence or absence of iron. Bands of white occur where water has removed the iron or bleached the rock through chemical reaction. Bands of white can be easily seen in the photo below.
The most famous arch is called Delicate Arch. You can judge its height when you look at the people standing underneath.
Over time, water seeped into cracks and joints, ice formed, and, with the expansion and contraction pressuring the rock, bits and pieces broke off, leaving a series of free-standing fins. Several fins are pictured below.
The temperature in Moab was about 90 degrees when we arrived mid-afternoon, quite a shock from the 60's and 70's we enjoyed in the Durango area. After finding the local visitors' center, we planned our next day of sightseeing.
Arches National Park is located about 5 miles from Moab. We got an early start so Ann, our chief photographer, could take advantage of the morning light. The red rocks were vibrant as the morning sun shone brightly.
Water and ice, extreme temperatures, and underground salt movement are responsible for the sculptured rock scenery of Arches National Park. At every vista we stopped, the views seemed more and more breathtaking. There are over 2,500 known arches ranging in size from 3 feet, the minimum necessary to be considered an arch, to 306 feet base to base. Landscape Arch is pictured below--306 ft. across.
There have been many cowboy movies, including four movies starring John Wayne, filmed in this area, as well as many commercials and music videos. Maybe you will recognize some of our photos. The terrain ranged from desert-like...
to monstrous red rock formations. The formation shown in the two photos below is called Park Avenue because it reminds you of standing among the skyscrapers in a large city such as New York.
Most of the rocks in Arches National Park owe their brilliant color to the presence or absence of iron. Bands of white occur where water has removed the iron or bleached the rock through chemical reaction. Bands of white can be easily seen in the photo below.
The most famous arch is called Delicate Arch. You can judge its height when you look at the people standing underneath.
Over time, water seeped into cracks and joints, ice formed, and, with the expansion and contraction pressuring the rock, bits and pieces broke off, leaving a series of free-standing fins. Several fins are pictured below.
Arches National Park also has a formation called Balanced Rock, similar to the one in Garden of the Gods in Colorado.
Several other less famous arches include the following:
 | |
| Pine Tree Arch |
 | |
| North Window |
 |
| Turret Arch |
Riddles we could not solve. Which part of the tree is the trunk? On the left or on the right? Was the tree there first or did it grow through the fence?
The dry desert climate was kind to certain types of flowers. None of the flowers are duplicates of those we found in Mesa Verde.
 |
| Rosemary mint |
 |
| Basin daisy |
 |
| Common globemallow |
 |
| Pricklypear Cactus |
 |
| Yellow thrifty goldenweek |
 |
| Uinta groundsel |
Considering Arches National Park was not in our original itinerary, we had an enjoyable time hiking literally from arch to arch and viewing some amazing scenery. Touring the park was a photographer's dream. It's no wonder Arches is one of the most frequently visited national parks in the system.
No comments:
Post a Comment