It's all Fun and Games Until "Someone" gets Lost- Arches National Park Utah

Moab Utah-Arches National Park 

Delicate Arch - 

Broken Arch

      The 3rd day that we were in Moab it was over 90 degrees in the sun so we decided

Tapestry Arch

 to wait until evening when it cooled down to go on a hike. We set out for a relatively easy hike to Sand Dune Arch. Everyone was having an awesome time running around barefoot in the red sand and climbing on the easy to reach arch.  After playing on the arch we all put our shoes back on and continued the mile long loop trail to Broken Arch. Once there we fiddled around took a few pictures before caring on to the last quick turn off on the trail to Tapestry Arch. We scrambled to the top of the incline and sat right below the Arch resting for a bit and admiring the evening sky as the sun began to set and the first star came out.  

  Realizing we may had gazed at the sky a bit to long we gathered everyone up and encouraged everyone  to walk as quickly as possibly back to the trail so we could reach our car before the black night came on. Not intending to stay as late as we did and not realizing how far we still had to go, we did not think to bring a flashlight with us. My phone died as we tried to use the flash light app I had on it.

Going UP

    We reached the campground that intersected the trail and could  barely  read the signs that directed us back to the loop because the night’s darkness had snuck in so quickly.  Aware that we would have to continue the trail in the dark we  all jogged for a bit until we hit a cavern that the trail descended into. Apprehensively we proceeded down the uneven slick stones and held onto the towering rocks on one side of us, avoiding the steep drop off on the other.  Once we got out of the cavern the light was not to be found and neither was the trail. We had taken a wrong turn. Where we should have continued following along the rocks we ventured out into the open field of small bushes, cacti and desert critters that were beginning to awaken for the night. After 15 years of marriage nothing had to be said between the two of us to understand that something was  wrong. I quickly picked up Lacey who was now beginning to cry, placed her on my back and the kids all said a prayer.  After what seemed like a very long 20 minutes Wes spotted the rock that he remember our car was near.  To me all the rocks looked the same so I (blindly both figuratively and literally) followed him until he had found the trail again.  Relieved, a bit scratched up from the cacti, and tired from the long walk we made it to our car safe and sound. 

Park Avenue

Day 1- Sunday Evening Hike to Park Avenue  

Park Avenue

Easy fun hike that drops into a huge valley surrounded by massive rocks. Ally wanted to take a picture of Shelby hugging a big rock and Shelby insisted on finding a "good lookin rock" instead of an ordinary one .  This became their phrase for the week. 

   Day 2 - Delicate Arch 

Stacks of rocks like the ones to the right of us
are used as trail markers. 

This is the  most popular Arch in the National park. Although the day we went was not too crowded.  Moderately strenuous hike that we all thoroughly enjoyed. Once we reached the arch I went under it first , briefly glancing at the sheer drop off right behind it. Wes and I cautiously walked the kids under it and had someone snap a quick shot.Then we all quickly went back to safer ground.  

On the Way Up

Double Arch

Window

Day 4 - North Window, South Window and Double Arch. 
Mid morning hike since this was the day after we got lost and we were not going to risk evening hikes again. Double Arch was my favorite , it reminded me of a natural cathedral . Every word we spoke echoed off the rock walls around us. The Windows Arch was windy enough to blow you off your footing. We all braced ourselves as we looked through it down into the canyon below. 

Canyonlands

Day 5 - Canyonlands National Park 
Beautiful long drive to Canyonlands. Because it was only 34 degrees outside and lightly snowing we only got out of the car briefly to take a picture of the enormous canyons.






Day 6 -  I enjoyed an eleven mile run in the 
quietness of the Arches National Park. Perfection.  Also took the kids to play in the red sand Dunes.  We went into the town of Moab and "found Mater the Truck" 

Dunes

                            

          Day 7- It rained all day so we couldn't go hiking. Instead we went into town and had lunch at Moab Diner. After Lunch we went to the Arches visitor center and watched a video about how the Archers were formed .