Thursday, August 29, 2013

Arches and Fins - It's Great to be Alive!

Moab, UT
August 27, 2013

 Tuesday morning promised  sunshine and a wee bit cooler temperatures. What do you do on a morning like that in Maob? Take a hike!
 I was glad to hear that Corona Arch was a must do on Judy's list. This hike certainly ranks among the top 5 of my favorite hikes here and was also on my list for a repeat.
Joe and I hitched a ride in the Jeep next door and off we went!
 I especially like this hike because it offers such a variety of terrain...sandy washes, rock scrambling,  slickrock...






...AND because the rocks and views are spectacular!


 This view is looking back towards a  slickrock canyon. 
This is the first view of Corona Arch on the hike...just after a second climb using a cable and small steps cut into the rock. Its the only picture I have of the whole arch at about 1/4 mile away.


 All the rain from Ivo sure "greened" things up.
I was very interested in the water trickling out of the rocks below Bowtie Arch. The colors, I guess from minerals, gave the rocks the most beautiful striations.

 And there were lots of tiny plants growing along the wall.

Joe spotted one tiny bloom...you can see it in the header photo towards the left. 




Bowtie Arch






Pam (from Travelin' in the Big E-Z) asked how I made the header picture look like a painting. Answer is "I don't know." It just looked like that. I did play alittle with the exposure, but I often times do that.















 Corona is one BIG arch...
Gary under the arch...

Judy under the arch...



Joe, Gary and Judy



 This hike is not a loop...in and out is almost 3 miles.

Judy has a great eye. She spotted this tiny toad...about the size of a quarter.



As best I can tell...it is a Red-Spotted Toad. They eat insects and prefer to live in deserts, and rocky areas.







Judy also pointed out this cactus. It's called a Many Headed Barrel or a Cottontop Cactus.




Then she saw a Large Spotted Leopard Lizard. The males are smaller than the females. They eat insects, small lizards, and some plant materials.



Joe and I sure enjoyed our time hiking to Corona...again! It was nice to be with friends and seeing the "WOW!" in their eyes!




Dee in Thumper...our leader.
Later in the day, we joined friends to do Fins and Things. We had done a portion of the trail back in May and to do the entire route was something we hoped to accomplish.


 A lot of this trail was steep, but relatively smooth.
 It does have its challenges with rocks and ledges to climb. What goes up, must come down...








And my favorite...sandy washes...a reward for all the "pucker" moments!




 The most dramatic part of Fins & Things was close to the end. First, there is a series of fins...steep and narrow. At the base of the first fin, we had to straddle a very thin rock bridge.
Narrow bridge...bottom left corner


My picture doesn't show it very well, but there is a huge drop off on both sides...




Second dramatic  part is Kenny's Climb. This picture is looking down after we did the climb...the only thing I saw going up was sky! It is very steep. Pearl performed flawlessly...straight up and I do mean straight up...she went!

The smile on my face says it all!
 Here we are at the end of another month...already! I so cant believe it is Labor Day Week-end.

Take care everyone...


'till next time.

Safe travels to Judy and Gary. They are headed to Colorado...have fun!

 


















 


11 comments:

  1. Thanks for explaining the natural beauty of your header photo. If I were a painter, that would be a great place to set up an easel and create an impressionist work of art. (I am such a dreamer.)

    How lucky to have such astute hiking companions. I love the red-spotted toad!



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  2. Great post. I'll be looking for one of those toads if, no, when we get to that area! I've been suprised you werethere in August. I would have thought it would be way too hot.

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  3. You guys really do take wonderful hikes and drives. Just wonderful to see your pictures of these beautiful sites.

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  4. Great photos and looks like you even enjoyed. I'll just be happy to enjoy through you because I would be scared to death!

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  5. The rocks look as if they have been painted. Beautiful! I would love spotting and photographing all the wild-life - toads and lizards! It looked like a very fun-filled day. Beautiful images!!

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  6. You must have nerves of steel. I had pucker factor just looking at the jeep trek photos. No way could I do that! I too thought your header photo was a painting. That is truly a unique pic worthy of being a print. Enjoy your holiday weekend.

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  7. That was a hike for the books! I love that hike but boy with the water it is beautiful beyond words! Outstanding photos:) Those little reptiles were so cute.

    Great and very scary Jeep ride...cool!

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  8. Another awesome hike, love the header photo !

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  9. Oh my, that Jeep ride must have been something else. Marcia gets nervous on roads which have a drop-off on her side, does not matter if there are guardrails or not. To go up Kenny's Climb or across that rock bridge...nope she would never do it.

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  11. Spectacular is not enough to describe your captures especially the header! Amazing. And both of you are very adventurous and braye with all your jeep rides, looks scary.

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