Arches National Park + a couple other stops

[NVSteve]

I headed out to Arches last week for 4 days, 2 of which also involved a couple of friends who met me there (girlfriend had to work). It was still very comfortable, around 39F lows and 65-ish for the highs. Put in anywhere from 10-16 miles of hiking a day, armed with my new Nikon. I wasn't really going to post much from Arches since I've already done so in the past, but I felt the Nikon captured everything better than what I've shown before.











The campsites are surrounded by massive rock formations. Very cool campground.



























A much less visited portion of the park with a really fun trail to an arch.













I got up bright and early my last day, packed up camp & headed back to Salt Lake. I had a couple of detours along the way, the first of which is was the abandoned Green River Missile Complex. It shut down in the 70s and everything was pretty much just left behind.





Here's the missile assembly building.





I then hopped back on I-70 for a while, then hopped off to take a nice scenic dirt road through some remote canyon country.







My little dirt road turned into a gravel superhighway close to this point. This little turnout is where a very large pictograph panel is. I took a few close-ups, but didn't get a wide shot of the panel because rocks/boulders kept falling nearby (I could hear them, but didn't see them), so I only had a really quick visit. Last thing I need was to have a boulder flatten the Pathfinder in the ass end of nowhere.

[Calicajun]

You took some great shots.

[JAHBLESSINGS]

nice pictures. makes me want to go hiking, thanks for sharing

[RacerZX]

Always excellent shots Steve, looks like a great trip. That abandoned missile complex sounds interesting, need to put that on my to-do list...

[Oly 22]

Very nice, not sure what you do for a living but you'd have a career in photography. Maybe a book of the region, day hikes and campsites.

[doctahjones]

so uh....first off great shots....

second, we'll be in denver starting 2/25. moab, slick rock, and arches are on my list to visit sometime within the first 12 months. you down for a rendezvous? the wife will definitely be with me so coed is just fine with me.

[NVSteve]

so uh....first off great shots....

second, we'll be in denver starting 2/25. moab, slick rock, and arches are on my list to visit sometime within the first 12 months. you down for a rendezvous? the wife will definitely be with me so coed is just fine with me.

You'll be in Denver, as in you are moving there? I'm game. I'd say October or November for Moab/Arches. I don't think I'd have enough time to do much driving around, but I could show you around Arches for a day. It just depends on how much vacation time I still have at that point. I should have a day or two, but I'd still go even if only for the weekend (leave after work on a Friday, spend Saturday there, come back on Sunday).

[doctahjones]

yah, moving to denver. it's like a dream come true. been wanting to move there since i was like 12.

everything finally came together and we're able to move. i get to keep my job (already work remote), but the wife will have to find another one. she's got a couple of bites on her resume that she's working on now.

cool deal. i'll circle back with you in sept, if we hadn't already gone by then

[NVSteve]

yah, moving to denver. it's like a dream come true. been wanting to move there since i was like 12.

everything finally came together and we're able to move. i get to keep my job (already work remote), but the wife will have to find another one. she's got a couple of bites on her resume that she's working on now.

cool deal. i'll circle back with you in sept, if we hadn't already gone by then

I'd love to work remote myself. Only so much amusement to be had whilst working in an office full of clucking hens and mentally incapacitated clients.

Yeah, send me a PM in July or so. One word of advice-you will not want to visit Moab in the summer months, at least not if you plan on seeing Arches.

[doctahjones]

whys that? remember i'm coming from a place where we have 45+ straight days of over 100F weather in the summers (with 50%+ humidity). it's brutal.

it's not that my body can't handle the summers down here in texas, it's just that i don't -want- to anymore.

however in visiting something like the arches i wouldn't mind the heat for a few days.

[NVSteve]

whys that? remember i'm coming from a place where we have 45+ straight days of over 100F weather in the summers (with 50%+ humidity). it's brutal.

it's not that my body can't handle the summers down here in texas, it's just that i don't -want- to anymore.

however in visiting something like the arches i wouldn't mind the heat for a few days.

I know it gets hot in Texas, but the dry heat out here is pretty harsh to most people when actively doing something. With humidty, you just feel wet, but with dry air, you feel every single molecule of radiation from the sun on your skin. Let's just say I wouldn't suggest visiting in July (average high of 99) if you are planning to hike some of the longer trails. I don't have a problem with the heat and exertion, but I have been with a few people (very fit and athletic people, mind you) on various adventures here who wound up sick as a dog. All of the above only applies if you are planning on hiking some of the longer trails. If you don't expect to do much hiking, then no worries whatsoever.

[Calicajun]

I'll take the dry heat over heat and humidity any day. As you can tell by my handle "Calicajun" I have live in both climates. So for me if July was the only month (usually company shut time) I had to go and see that area, I would be loading up the PF and heading out with camera gear in tow. Beside it is your fault for posting such great looking pictures. Do you give photography lessons?