Arches National Park

Monday the 18th was moving day. We left Provo, UT and headed toward Moab, UT home of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Tuesday was sit around and watch it rain day. Today, Wednesday, we took off for Arches N. P.

You have a long climb from the visitors center to plateau where all the fun begins. There is something new to marvel at around every corner.

How some of the formations remain standing is amazing.

The first arch we see along the drive in.

Our destination for the day was Devils Garden hiking area.

Landscape arch.

Navajo arch

View along the trail

Double O arch

See the two arches? One above the other.

We decided to take the primitive back to the parking lot. Turned out to be a bad idea. We were enjoying the hike and the views. 

Then the trouble hit. We came to a turn in the trail that went along a ledge about 8 inches wide and sloped. There were a lot of people backed up getting across the ledge. Everybody made it but me! About half way across my feet slipped off the ledge and I was off. I slid straight down facing the rock. If you click on the pic below you see a light colored line down the rock face. That's where I slid. I went about 30 feet down the rock face before coming to a stop about where Louise is standing.

People creeping along ledge I fell from

After my heart slowed down enough that I could talk, I started looking to see the damage to my body. The rock rash on my left elbow, two blisters on my right hand and a bruise on my left leg was all. Lucky lucky man. My pants and shirt were worn through in a couple of areas. This evening I'm a little sore but nothing broken but mt pride.

A little later in the hike we came to a water hazard. There were two ways around it. Go up a steep rock face or wade it. After my last slide I decided to wade it, Louise went up and around. I might add that there was another back up of hikers here that formed a line up the rock to get people up it. There was no way I was going up there after what happened at the last rock face. I took my shoes off and followed another hiker through the water. The water was up to my waist but I made it. Shoes back on and we were off again.  That was end of the bad areas.
Wading the water hazard

AHH!!!! Made it back to the bike!!!! 

The hike ended up being almost 7 miles long. The plan was for a short break in hike today because we hadn't been doing much hiking lately. So much for the short hike. If we can get out of bed in morning we plan to head back to take several short hikes in Arches.

Looking down on the visitors center. 

We stopped at the center so Louise could get her National Parks passport book stamped. After a stop for lunch we headed back to the campground. 

Hope I don't fall off any rocks tomorrow

Duane and Louise