Arches

We made it to Moab in one piece Sunday night, thanks to a 5 hour energy on the back half.  Coming in to the little city I kept seeing paths that made me wish I had my bike, but while eating breakfast the next morning, I overheard some of the staff complaining that their bike trail was underwater.  I have never seen the Colorado River so swollen.  I still wish we had more time to go try out some of the running/biking trails.  I just loved my last few desert runs before moving and I guess I didn't get it out of my system. 

So after we got up and ate breakfast Monday, we drove to Arches.  The kids didn't entirely know what to expect, but loved it.  We stopped at the first parking lot and trekked the 1 mile trail, each way, along "Park Ave".  The kids oohed and ahhed at the huge rocks, the swirls and ripples on the slick rock, the hearty desert plants eking out their existence, and especially any climbing spots. Of course there are plenty of pictures. 

We loved all these tiny tracks in the sand.  

 Jess made lots of rock piles.  

 Balanced Rock.  It's huge. 

 This next batch are all taken in "Garden of Eden".  The kids loved this area.  It's beautiful and varied and it wasn't too hot yet.  They requested lots of pictures.

 Makenna found a hammock.

 

 

 Double Arch from the roadway.  This was the winning spot for the most languages in a single spot.  

6, including English. 

 Double Arch brings out the photographer in everyone.  

 It makes you feel a little dizzy lying down and watching the clouds move across past the giant arches.  It somehow feels like the clouds and stationary and the ground is unstable--not the most comfortable feeling considering you are lying on a cliff ledge.

 You can climb over OR under. 

 Isaac climbing around. 

 Isaac is the little speck on the left, and a close up below.  It was windy just when I was taking this and it's a long sheer drop on the other side. 

 On the way back from Double Arch.  They loved climbing around that one.

 

 

 Turret Arch is visible behind Makenna. 

  Jess giving us the the height scale.  She is just over 48 inches.  

 All three kids taking a break from the sun.  

 Isaac resting in the shade of either North or South Window.

 Delicate Arch.  We skipped the 3 mile hike for this one and settled for the shorter uphill viewpoint.  

 Hiking around the Fiery Furnace.  We all shimmied through this gap.

 They finally got their fill of climbing, at least for one day.

 Isaac jumping down about ten feet into soft sand.  I didn't quite catch the action shot. 

We are near the end of our endurance.  Fiery Furnace was probably the highlight, but we ran out of gas after an hour or so.  We didn't even scratch the surface of hiking possibilities within it's realm.  I added up the known distances and the kids went well over 6 miles.  They all voted to skip the pool and head to bed after a good scrubbing in the tub.