Arches was way neat, and it is a smaller park than I realized. Lots of dazzling scenery, but mostly at sunrise and sunset. I between - it's kind of a barren desert. There is not even a great deal of hiking to be done, on account of the "crypto-biological crust" on the soil. A very slow growing crust of bacteria, lichens, algae, and fungi grow on the sandy soil over the course of hundreds of years. It ends up looking like tiny black nodules, when one can actually see it, after 250 years of growth!
I highly recommend the Fiery Furnace ranger-guided hike. It was probably the best part of the whole trip. Bushwhacking and rock hopping down dry washes and up little slots to Surprise Arch, Skull arch, and other neat features was very fun, and well-worth the $10 fee. Also, the hike up to delicate arch was steep, but not overly long, and the view at the end is quite nice. I found the crowd of photographers poised in one spot, all waiting to take the same photo kind of comical. Finally, beware of Sand Arch. We walked in there on a windy day and wound up getting a serious sand-blasting. The kind where you are walking with eyes closed, or sometimes not walking at all - just covering your face with your jacket. It stung.
All in all, I was glad to get to see the place. Well worth the time to visit, should you ever be nearby. Still no personal sightings of the elusive Bighorn Sheep, though!
1 comment:
cool photos! :)
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