Moab + Arches National Park + Canyonlands National Park, UT (330km)
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After the brief time around Moab the previous day I was happy to have planned an off-day in the area to just explore and return to the same campsite that evening. The landscape was spectacular and I was excited to get to Arches' sister-park Canyonlands just a few dozen km east on Hwy 313. I was happy to see that the high walls of the canyon I was camping in provided shelter from direct sunlight for the first hour of the day. I quickly made and ate breakfast and packed what I needed for the day. While moving on the bike the heat wasn't bad, but if stopped and especially when hiking around it was overbearing. I headed to the Parks information centre to refill on water (none in the campground) and learn what I could. I revisited several of the spots E. and I were at the night before and rode and re-rode all the roads in the park. I headed back into Moab just a few km south for lunch. The second half of the day would be at Canyonlands and I was prepared for a limp encore thinking that nothing could match Arches. At first I was disappointed after a 50km ride produced only distant views of something that looked sort-of interesting below the plateau I was riding up. I continued to the end of the road at the officially named Grand View Point Overlook. It was spectacular and in awe I crawled off the bike, grabbed a litre of water, and walked down tot he viewing. There was the usual crowd of maybe 5-10 people at the main viewpoint with a small path headed off to the side with a sign '1 mile to Grand View'. How could I resist? In full riding gear I headed off for one of the most spectacular hikes of my life along the 6,000ft precipice of a 2,200ft drop (over 1/2 a kilometre!) to the rivers below. It was actually impossible for my head to actually understand the scale of the place and I was in constant awe. This was also a time for extreme vertigo as the ledges on all sides dropped out into nothing. The end of the hike rewarded a view of the entire Canyonlands basin and the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers. Mindblowing and almost impossible to describe without sounding like hyperbole. I was sad to finally leave Canyonlands and made one more drive through Arches before finding a restaurant for dinner. I was looking forward to some air conditioning and maybe a beer as the campsite would still be holding heat even if it was no longer in the sun.
Waking up at camp on the Colorado river
It's a 2,000ft drop off that edge.
Saw lots of these guys. Always pleasant run-ins.
Another starry night and sinking into the tent.
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5 comments:
More or less fifteen years have passed since I visited the very same area. Nothing has changed, the landscape seems eternal compared to a human lifespan. I took the same picture from Grand View Point when it was still pre-digital... Some of these sights just makes one humble and struck with awe. I am impressed that you hiked there in full gear!
Did you look over the edge of that 2,000-foot cliff? Don't think I could have.
@Websterize - I tip-toed to the edge, held out the camera at arm's length, closed my eyes, and snapped away. It was scary, although the air was so still it seemed like an illusion.
@SonjaM - Indeed, it's the Grand View Point and it delivered on the name. I didn't really mean to do the full hike but I started walking out and these polyester tourists we like "i'm not doing a walk" so of course I thought i had to. One step... two... next thing i knew i was doing the 1mi hike each direction. Luckily I had 2L of water with me and i drank it all! I also really really hate sun lotion, and the thought of sweating and then sleeping in that goo wasn't appealing. Of course, the only alternative is not to let the sun hit you...
I'll also give a shout-out to the BMW Rallye Pro II jacket - awesome ventilation!
Thanks for posting the pictures...and making that hike. I know I couldn't do it in full gear, let alone the boots! But agree that it had to be done with all of those cage tourists. At least they did exit their vehicles and not just drive by and stick their arm out the window taking pictures.
I was wondering about the overlook picture too. I was thinking you could crawl to the lip on your belly and stick the camera out and over... :) Don't know if I could have. -Lori
@BeemerGirl Did i mention i have vertigo? I was scared stiff the whole time!
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