Window in Time - Arches National Park

From Awesome David

Monday, 25th September
After a relaxing day of movie watching and snowball fights, we began the journey to Moab and the famous Arches National Park.
The trip was uneventful, but as usual, the drive was spectacular... especially for someone with geologist interests. The sandstone cliffs along the way were fascinating, with their unreal display of shapes and colours.

As we drove through the purples, reds and oranges of Arches National Park, and started yet another Junior Ranger programme, we learnt that the arches are created by the hostile, windy environment - the action of wind blowing on freestanding fins of sandstone. Abrasion and gravity go about their jobs. Then when arches erode too much and finally collapse, they produce spires and amazing balanced rock formations.

Colourful sandstone cliffs while driving to Moab

The green crypto-biological soil crust on the sandstone

The original ranch house in Arches National Park

Beautiful purple, red and green sandstone cliffs

We walked the trail to Delicate Arch - a 3km walk to an arch delicately balanced on a smooth sandstone outcrop. It was absolutely stunning!! It is clear from the rock debris lying around that the landscape of arches, spires, balanced rocks and buttes are continuously changing too. We'll enjoy our time here.

The Grant family on the trail to Delicate Arch

Jonty in the colourful landscape

Eliza and Jonty standing on smooth Navajo sandstone

Eliza and Jonty early on the trail

Jonty and David on the trail to Delicate Arch

Logan and Jane half way along the trail

Jonty balancing like one of the rocks - cactus in the background

Eliza and Jonty "holding up" Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch with beautiful sandstone cliffs

The kids at the peak looking down on the smooth sandstone amphitheatres

Smooth sculpted sandstone

What an incredible view!!

Logan at the base of a spire

The Grant kids (barely noticable) at the base of Delicate Arch

On the way back down the trail I injured my knee again - how frustrating! Fortunately, it didn't feel like a bad one, so I just needed a bit of rest and some extra support for it. I'm glad that I brought a knee bandage and a walking pole.

Tuesday, 26th September
The following day, with a knee that was feeling somewhat better, we decided to progress to the other end of Arches National Park, and check out some of the delights of Devil's Garden. It was truly worth it.

The Grant family in front of Landscape Arch

The iconic Landscape Arch

Inadvertently, we ended up on the Primitive Trail, a difficult 11km trail that had us scrambling up exposed sandstone spines and sliding down smooth sandstone shells. It took us to our favourite arch, the Partition Arch through which we had a window to a beautiful panorama of the park. 

Jonty in front of Partition Arch

The Grant family under Partition Arch

The Grant family with a smooth sandstone spine in the background - we had earlier walked along this!

Spires, buttes and Navajo sandstone cliffs fill the window at Partition Arch -
an even more incredible view!

Finally, it brought us to the Double-O Arch, a slightly disappointing arch that represented the end of the "garden". We then had to complete a loop to return home. It was a great trail, but it really would not have been possible without the help of a couple of Kiwis (from Wellington) that we encountered at the Double-O Arch. 

Kim and Liz helped entertain the children, and assisted my strapped knee with the more difficult components of the hike, such as rock jumps and steep descents. They were great company, and we discovered that they were doing the same route as us ... in reverse... and in half the time!

The Double-O Arch - meh!