Part I
One of the places we have wanted to visit, for years, is Arches National Park. I wish we had gone a long time ago. Saying that is awe inspiring is an understatement. I don’t think there is an adjective that suits the majesty. The park is filled with monolithic rock formations that will keep your jaw on the ground. I got whiplash as we drove through the park on our first day there.
Our trip to Arches was during the peak of summer heat. During our visit (the first week of August) we saw daily temperatures at 95°F and one day topped out at 103°F.
I lived in the Mojave Desert for several years so that kind of heat wasn’t foreign to me, but if you have never visited an aired climate be prepared. We always had at least 2 liters of water per person anytime we hiked, and on that hottest day? We each had three liters.
We also planned our hiking trips during the cooler times of the day. One of the hikes (Fiery Furnace) we did in two parts. The bottom hike was early in the morning and the top was late in the afternoon.
Arches N.P. is big enough that we spent 4 days there and still had more to see. In the next series of posts I will be writing about the hikes we did. I will start at Landscape Arch then on to the Window and Turret Arches, followed by our adventure through Fiery Furnace and ending with an epic rappel into two grottoes.
Until then, stay cool!
arbitrarydustbunnies 