This is a picture of the view looking thru Mesa Arch. This was a nice end fo a long day. What a view!!
This arch can be seen after a short hike (1/2 mile round trip) up a short hill (I think there is about a 100 foot or so elevation gain).
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Canyonlands Ntl Park - Isle In The Sky - Mesa Arch - May 17, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Muley Point
Muley Point is a scenic overlook located in Utah, near the beginning of Moki Dugway off of Rte 261. It can be reached at the end of a 5-mile dirt road. From this viewpoint, you can see the San Juan RIver where it cuts into the canyon below. You can see Monument Valley in the distance.
Moki Dugway is a steep, dirt road that winds its way down the mountain. This road eventually leads to the town of Mexican Hat, Utah. The speed limit is 5 mph, and for good reason. The road is dirt, so it is kind of rough, and it is steep....a 10% grade that descends 1100 feet in 3 miles. RV's are not recommended on this road as the switchbacks have sharp turns and the road is rather narrow. Despite the rough going (and the tailgating car behind me), I found this road to be a lot less scary than I initially thought it would be. It was actually pretty cool....and what a view!
Links to Check Out:
Muley Point
Moki Dugway
Arches National Park - May 18, 2010
I visited Arches National Park on May 18, 2010. The day was overcast but still warm. I was pretty disappointed that I didn't have better weather, or at least some sunshine! Not only that, but I also had an upset tummy, which made taking a longer hike nearly impossible (since there aren't any bathrooms on the trails - lol). I did manage a few short hikes, including Sand Dune Arch, Broken Arch, Skyline Arch, Double Arch, and The Windows trails. I didn't get to go to Landscape Arch (the longest arch in the park and in the world for that matter), because I could not find a place to park in the parking lot...not one spot. Ugh. I really wanted to go to that one. Photo ops were many, but the cloudy skies didn't make for very pretty pictures.
On the hike to Broken Arch, I got caught in a cloudburst and took shelter under an alcove to wait it out. And then when I was at Park Avenue, it started to sprinkle again. When I was at the Delicate Arch viewpoint, I could hear thunder rumbling, so I took that as a cue to go back to the hotel room in Moab. Not long after I got back to the room, it started pouring....with thunder and lightning. I love to watch the lightning, but it sure put a damper (no pun intended) on my trip to the park.
The park is every bit as beautiful as I thought it would be, and hopefully, next time I go, I will have some sunshine and blue skies!
Link to Check Out:
NPS: Arches National Park
My Flickr Photo Album: Arches National Park
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Arches Ntl Park - Park Avenue - Prince's Plume - May 18, 2010
Arches National Park is located in Utah, near the town of Moab. It is home to over 2,000 natural sandstone arches and many other unusual rock formations, such as fins, spires and balanced rocks. The arches in the park range from the smallest (to be considered an 'arch', the opening has to have a span of at least 3 feet), to the longest, Landscape Arch, which has a span of 306 feet from base to base, making it the longest arch in the world.
Links to Check Out:
NPS: Arches National Park
Wikipedia: Arches National Park
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Arches Ntl Park - Balanced Rock - May 18, 2010
There aren't just arches in Arches National Park, of course. Balanced Rock is an example of a hoodoo (such as those seen in Bryce Canyon). The rock is not balanced on top of the pedestal, as it looks like in the picture. It is actually attached to it. The large boulder is comprised of harder rock (Entrada's Slick Rock member) than the pedestal is made of (Entrada's Dewey Bridge member). The whole structure is 128 feet tall. The boulder weighs approximately 3577 tons (which is the equivalent of 1600 cars!).
Link to Check Out:
Wikipedia: Balanced Rock
Arches Ntl Park - Pothole Arch - May 18, 2010
This is an example of a, you guessed it, pothole arch, which is formed by erosion from above. Water running down the edge of the cliff wore a depression (or pothole) into the rock and created the arch. This arch has a span of 90 feet and is 30 feet high, and it is visible from the road.
Arches Ntl Park - Delicate Arch - May 18, 2010
I didn't go on the trail to this arch, since it had begun to cloud up and rumbles of thunder could be heard in the distance. My feet were also starting to feel the miles of hikes I had already put in prior to my arrival here. ( I got caught in a cloudburst on the trail to Broken Arch a little earlier). About an hour after I went to this viewpoint, it started to pour, along with thunder and lightning (it's a good thing I opted not to go - lol). Next time for sure!!!
This is probably the most-recognized of all the arches in the park. It is 52 feet tall and formed out of Entrada Sandstone.
Link to check out:
Wikipedia: Delicate Arch
Arches Ntl Park - Broken Arch - May 18, 2010
You can get to this arch by a 1.3 mile round trip hike along a mostly level trail (although there is not much shade along the way). As you see, the arch is not broken, but there is a crack in it. One can only wonder how long it will remain standing before its inevitable collapse.
Broken Arch is 59 ft long and 43 ft tall.
Link to Check Out:
Arches National Park
Arches Ntl Park - Sand Dune Arch - May 18, 2010
The trail to this arch is short (about .3 miles round trip) and is easy, although there is some deep sand (which can creep into your shoes - lol).
Arches Ntl Park - Skyline Arch - May 18, 2010
The hike to this arch is a very easy .4 mile round trip walk along a pretty flat trail. On a night in November 1940, a large chunk fell out of the arch, which doubled the size of the opening. As you can see in the photo, a large pile of rocks lies at the base of the arch - perhaps pieces of the old arch.
The Skyline Arch opening has a span of 71 feet.
Link to check out:
NPS: Skyline Arch
Arches Ntl Park - Double Arch - May 18, 2010
Double Arch - The hike to this pair of arches is a very easy 1/2 mile round trip along a relatively flat trail.
This set of arches is one of the more prominent features in the park, due to its unusual formation. It is a pothole arch, which is formed by water erosion from above rather than the more usual erosion from the side. This area was used as the backdrop for the opening scene of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.
Link to Check Out:
Wikipedia: Broken Arch
Utah - Wilson Arch
This arch is easily visible from Hwy 191, about 20 or so miles south of Moab, Utah. This arch was named after a pioneer named Joe Wilson.
The arch is formed out of Entrada Sandstone and has a span of 91 feet and a height of 46 feet.
Mesa Verde Ntl Park - May 19, 2010
I went to Mesa Verde National Park on a whim. It was only a few hours from where I had camped, so I thought, "what the heck?" (lol).
They were doing construction on the road, so the going was slow. I was still able to drive along the scenic loop and stop at the viewpoints, including this one.
Mesa Verde National Park was established as a national park on June 29, 1906. The park preserves many ancient cliff dwellings, pit houses, pueblos, masonry towers and farming structures of the ancient Puebloan people, who made Mesa Verde their home from about A.D. 550 to 1300. The cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde and some of the best preserved in North America.
I didn't have enough time to go up close to the cliff dwellings this time around, but you can see them quite well from the many viewpoints on the scenic loop drive.
Links to Check out:
NPS - Mesa Verde National Park
My Flickr Photo Album: Mesa Verde National Park
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Natural Bridges Ntl Monument - Owachomo Bridge - May 20, 2010
I decided to visit Natural Bridges National Monument on the way to Monument Valley. I only had time to do 2 short hikes...to Owachomo Bridge and the hike to Horsecollar Ruin. The other hikes in the park were simply too long (and strenuous) to do in an hour or 2, since my time was pretty limited here. I did have a great time at the park nonetheless.
Natural Bridges National Monument is located in southeast Utah, near the town of Blanding. It is home to 3 natural bridges. (The Natural Arch and Bridge Society defines a natural bridge as a type of arch that is primarily water formed). The bridges went through a few name changes over the years, first being named President, Senator and Congressman. Next they were renamed Augusta, Caroline and Edwin, before finally being renamed in 1909 to Sipapu, Kachina and Owachomo.
The hike to Owachomo Bridge was short, but fairly steep, but it is the easiest of the 3 bridge trails: It is about 1/2 mile round trip with an elevation change of about 200 feet.
Owachomo means "rock mound" in Hopi and is named after the rock formation on top of the southeast end of the bridge.
The hike to the Horsecollar Ruin Overlook is about .6 miles round trip and is fairly level with minimal elevation change.
Links to Check Out:
NPS - Natural Bridges National Monument
My Flickr Photo Album: Natural Bridges National Monument
Natural Bridges Ntl Monument - Horsecollar Ruin - May 20, 2010
Horsecollar Ruin is one of the best preserved Puebloan sites in the area, and is named so since the doorways resemble horsecollars. It was discovered in the 1880's.
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park - May 20, 2010
I made it to Monument Valley a little after noon. It was pretty warm outside and not a cloud in the sky. I had lunch at The View Restaurant and got a few souvenirs at the gift shop. I didn't make the full loop drive, but I was still able to take this nice landscape shot right outside the gift shop. I think the next time I go I will take a guided tour.
Monument Valley is located near Goulding, UT, and The park is located on the Navajo Nation Reservation, and its sandstone formations have been the backdrop for many motion pictures. The Navajo name for the park is Tsé Bii' Ndzisgaii (Valley of the Rocks).
The park lies within the borders of the Colorado Plateau, an area of land which is largely centered on the Four Corners region of the US (consisting of northern Arizona and New Mexico, and southern Utah and Colorado). The Colorado Plateau is also home of several other parks including The Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and Zion National Parks. The brilliant red color of the landscape is the result of iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone, while the darker bluish-gray rocks get their color from maganese oxide.
This is one of my favorite parks to visit. I don't think any picture gives it justice. It is one of those places which you simply need to see to fully appreciate its beauty.
Links to check out:
Navajo Nation Parks - Monument Valley
My Flickr Photo Album:Monument Valley
Johnson Canyon - Gunsmoke Set - May 20, 2010
Some of the old buildings used on the set of the TV show "Gunsmoke" are still standing in Johnson Canyon in Utah. The buildings are clearly in a sad state, but were still pretty neat to see. My dad would have loved to see them, as he is a big fan of western tv shows and films.
Johnson Canyon is located off of Hwy 89 near Kanab, Utah. The area in and around Kanab is often referred to as Utah's Little Hollywood, as over 100 movies have been filmed in the area, including "The Outlaw Josey Wales." Several sets from movies can be found at Frontier Movie Town in Kanab.
The Gunsmoke set is on private property, but can be easily viewed from the roadside.
Link to check out:
Utah's Little Hollywood
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park - May 20, 2010
I stayed here the last nite of my trip at the campground. The weather was great and I slept like a log. Didn't get a chance to really go exploring though, since I arrived late in the day and left early in the morning for home.
The park is located in Utah near Zion National Park, between Mt Carmel Junction and Kanab. It is more of an OHV park, since the sand dunes are open to OHV's. But there are hiking opportunities as well. Like the name says, the sand dunes are a kind of coral pink color, which is a striking contrast between the blue skies and green pine trees. Truly a photographer's dream. I wish I was able to get some more pictures of the park, but I just ran out of time. Maybe next time.
Link to check out:
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
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