March 10 Saturday night

Sorry it has been three days since our last post.  Since leaving Colorado we have barely had phone service let alone Internet. 

Thursday, March 8, day 5 or our trip.

After breakfast and before leaving Grand Junction, it was time to wash the road dirt off big red.  We stumbled upon the best $10 car wash.  It made the truck look brand new.

The car wash had vacuums to use free of charge, the wife I still have to pay for.  LOL

A short time later we crossed into Utah.  After exiting I70, the road we drove into Moab followed the Colorado river.  It was kind of like driving in the Grand Canyon.

Arches National Park was our destination in the Moab area today.  We visited the Moab area 8 years ago.  It was late August and the temperature was 95 degrees.  It was on this visit that I decided that we would return to Arches and hike the 3 mile round trip to the Delicate Arch.  The first time the weather was too hot and we did not want to run out of time to see as much as possible.

We were driving up a hill just inside the entrance when we saw two poeple on top of a rock that looked like it was ready to fall.  They waved to us as we took their picture.

The Delicate Arch trail parking lot was our first stop. It is a 3 mile round trip hike to the arch with a 500 foot overall vertical climb. From observation and personnel experience, that 500 foot seemed like 5000 feet. The first 1/3 of the trail is relatively flat with a couple of ups and downs. The second 1/3 is the intimidating part. This is a 20 degree incline on a rock slide.

We stopped a number of times to catch our breath and rest.  When you start the hike, you are at 5000 feet elevation, so that adds to the diffcult part.  It would also help if you are in any reasonable physical condition.  Other hikers past us on their way down and gave us words of encouragement.  There was one women who passed us on her way up and down running before we got to the top.  The last 1/3 of the trail is a gradual incline along a rock wall.  Once we made it to the top, the view and sense of accomplishment made it worth the effort.  Big props to Cheryl.  Thankfully, the vertigo she has been battling the last few weeks nor her asthma flared up.  She also ignored her fear of heights. 

We made it back to the parking lot with aching legs and knees.  We explored the rest of the park including Balanced Rock, Double Arch, and the Windows arches.

We waited in the truck to watch the full moon rise over the Window arches.  That ended day 5.