Out of Utah and Back into Arizona

We spent the last three nights near Moab, Utah and spent the days visiting Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. We left Green River on Friday morning and made the short haul to a camp on the Colorado River just north of town. The camp is in a Bureau of Land Management area and right on the river. There were several of these camps along the Colorado and most of them were already full by noon on Friday. We got in and then the overflow lot started to fill up. This is a very popular place for the young bikers, mountain climbers, river rats and off roaders as well as families and retirees that come to visit the national parks. Moab was a pretty busy resort town with lots of lodging, restaurants and gift shops as well as outfitters and off road vehicle rentals.
We missed having David with us because at the last minute he couldn't get away for the long weekend. We did our exploring by ourselves, but took his recommendations for things to see and do.
We toured Arches National Park on Friday and took a grille and burgers with us so we could get the most out of the daylight. We stopped at many of the sights and then grilled dinner. By the time we got to the end of the park it was too dark to see the last of the scenery.
Saturday we went to Canyonlands National Park. Like Arches, the scenery was awesome, but the most popular sites were quite spread out. We spent most of the day touring and making short hikes, then returned to camp and had dinner.
Sunday morning it was back to Arches to see the end of the park that we missed on Friday due to lack of time. Sunday's weather was awesome, clear blue sky and sunshine with no wind. We made a long hike with a lot of rock climbing and really enjoyed seeing the most spectacular part of the park. We were amazed at how many people visit these parks. Most of the parking lots at the various popular spots were filled.
This morning we packed up and drove to Holbrook, Arizona. We are now on I-40 and will be starting our trek back to Michigan over the next two weeks. We had lots of wind and a few dust storms on the road today. We will visit Petrified Forest National Park tomorrow and then start heading east. Trying to stay south of the cold snap.
Here are some pictures from the weekend (I have such a good signal at the park here in Holbrook that I am putting a record number of pictures on the blog today!) ...

A leopard lizard out in the desert. This one was about ten inches long! The biggest one yet. Almost enough for a sandwich! (They taste like chicken I am told).

Friday afternoon at Arches N.P.

The rock formations were huge and weird.

Balanced rock looks like it might not be up there long.

The park road into Arches. Driving through the monuments.

The scenery was stunning especially with the snow peaked Lasal Mountains in the background.

And of coarse there are arches!

Arches as seen through an arch.

The wilderness of the national park.

A strange rock formation with holes! They call these windows.

Here is not one but double arches!

 

The sign says it all!

And HUGE arches!

This one is called "Delicate Arch". It is the symbol of Utah.

After dinner we ran out of daylight in Arches N.P. This was where we left off (Landscape Arch).

Saturday morning we headed for Canyonlands National Park.

Here everything was about the erosion from the Colorado and Green Rivers. The carved out deep canyons in the landscape and the views were everywhere!

Dirt roads led out through the landscape back toward Moab.

They even had a few arches here! 

 

But below the arches were, what else? Canyons!

 

A drop off led to another, deeper, canyon

It is unimaginable how much soil had to be moved to create these canyons.

A history of how the landscape was created and used.

Driving out of Canyonlands park we saw our second Bighorn Sheep of the trip. The first one was at Capitol Reef, but that one was camera shy!

A view at the peaks behind our camp on the Colorado River.

Here is the river. Driving along this stretch of highway was almost like being at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

 

Sunday morning back at Arches where we left off on Friday.

Landscape Arch was three hundred feet long, and only six feet thick at it's thinnest point. They say it may not be standing too much longer.

Big round domes all in a row.

Wonderful scenery with bright blue skies. 

Hang in there, sport!

Waves of color in the rock.

Another arch!

And another!

I couldn't get enough of the view with the mountains in the background.

These were fins of rock eroded out of the mountain.

 

So long till next time.