Two more National Parks today, and endless awe on top of incredulous mouth-gaping, on top of safety reminders, on top of water-gulping, on top of photo OCD. Arches National Park was smaller and more crowded of the two, drawing tourists to its numerous sites that were, in most cases, short easy walks to big pay-off views. This was perfect for us given the temperature, but the first stop at Double Arch in the Windows Section was a good lesson for the kids in the tourist mentality, and how seeing many people doing something makes it seem like a fine idea. We stopped there because of an Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade connection, so I’m not being smug. It’s just that the cavalier climbing of hundreds of people up the crevices of this majestic and dangerous location made us appreciate Bob’s preference for the quieter routes. Although, it also was the start of Ben’s near un-tame-able scampering.
Sand Dunes Arch was much quieter, but equally impressive with its Tatooine-esque deep sandscapes and wall-like, bouldery passage. Still, it was when we had Skyline Arch completely to ourselves that Ben asked, with all adorable 12-year old sincerity, “Mom, Dad, can I scamper here?”
Kudos to Bob, our travel agent and hiking-guide, for choosing environments between Colorado and the Four Corners that would wow us every time, even keeping a 14-year old girl continuously impressed (#feat). But even after a short recharge back in Moab, he wasn’t done, and drove us out to Canyonlands National Park. While Arches shows the power of the Earth to sculpt upwards, Canyonlands shows its power to dig dooowwwnnn…
We were largely alone along the Grand View Trail that traverses the edge of Islands of the Sky mesa. We were eager, but a little gunshy about canyon walks that say “Easy” AND “extreme drop-offs intensify the steepness of the trail”. Nonetheless we had a beautiful, mostly safe-feeling walk with panoramic views the whole way. Ben was even free to use his signature Billy Elliott leap-walk at times, though there were moments I had to admonish him: “Ben, no hopping here. No jumping, skipping, or leaping” “What about bouncing? or high-stepping? dancing? What about scampering? ” he responded, as we devolved into a battle of adjectives.
While this leg of the trip has offered us some of our favorite hikes so far, Moab itself is unimpressive. Sorry Moab, you’re just a sleeping place, and your dining options are Meh. Still, we appreciate your centrality to so much enormous beauty, we could stay here a year to explore it.
Car Full of Carpenters 