Moab Excursion Overview - 10/9/14 thru 10/13/14

Sunset at Delicate Arch

Evening Light on the Courthouse at Park Avenue

Taking a Break at the Huge Scramble Section of Syncline Loop

 The sign in the coffeehouse in Green River said, "You can sleep when you're dead." Our sentiments exactly as thirty club members took Moab by storm! With the schedule packed tighter than tight, we covered as much distance as we could to see the sights in Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and surrounding BLM wilderness trails. A few of us even sacrificed a few hours of sleep to get in sunsets and sunrises. The red rock arches, deep canyons and distant views were amazing.

Taking a Break on the Challenging Syncline Loop

When we arrived in Moab on Thursday, we hit the ground running. Sunset at Delicate Arch and Park Avenue were well attended.

Sunrise at Mesa Arch

Downtown Moab

 The next morning, sunrise at Mesa Arch and Devil's Garden ensued. The major hikes of the day were Murphy Loop, Devil's Garden and a grueling Syncline Loop. (Probably won't put Syncline on the schedule again for any future visits!) We were all well into the "fun" ... especially those moderate folks! The strenuous hikers worked extremely hard on their scheduled hikes. Depends on who you ask as to whether they had "fun."

Sunrise at Landscape Arch

 The next day, Saturday, the tide changed for the strenuous hikers and the moderates got their share of Canyonlands. Landscape Arch and Mesa Arch, again, received sunrise photos.

Gathering at Corona Arch

Cairn Heaven and the Moderate Group

There were two groups traveling around the Devil's Garden Loop in opposite directions. We met up in the middle. Part of the moderate group enjoyed the Grand View Point Overlook rim trail to start off their day after sunrise. Then they hiked the Neck Spring Loop. Another part of the moderate group took on the twelve miles of Alcove Spring. There were picnics after the main hikes at Double Arch and Upheaval Dome.  A short visit to the Windows section finished off the strenuous hikers' day.

Dramatic Skies near Broken Arch

The weather was warm but not too warm throughout the first three days. However, on Sunday, a front came blowing in hard. We handled the wind and blowing sand on our hikes then enjoyed the late afternoon photo sessions as the skies presented drama out the wazoo!

Perfect Light at Skyline Arch

Approaching Jeep Arch

The main hikes on Sunday were on BLM wilderness land. They were Jeep Arch and Corona Arch. Both trails were well cairned and, even though we were thoroughly prepared to route find, we had no problem with the trail. We did, however, have a disagreement with the Jeep Arch name. We preferred ExTerra or FJCruiser Arch. The Corona Arch was hiked by both groups at two different times of the day. It turned out to be many hikers' favorite arch!

Sunrise through the North Window to Turret Arch

 The next morning, it was cool but the skies were clear again. A few of us went out to the Windows Section for a sunrise photo session at Turret Arch.

Morning "Shadowettes" at the Fisher Towers (Half Silhouette/Half Shadow)

A few Strenuous Hikers on the Devil's Garden Loop

 Thanks to Photoshop, the many tourists who were stubbornly in our shot were made to disappear! The rocks turned a bright orange and then we hurried up the road to Fisher Towers. By this time, many of the club members had headed home. Too bad. Fisher Towers was one of the best hikes of the week!

In the coming days, blogs of several of the Moab hikes will be posted. Until then, enjoy these photos. Thanks to Jerry Thomas, Mike O'Connor, Steve Anderson, John Blackwell and all other attendees for a fantastic trip. What a rush!

Double Arch Picnic

Schafer Canyon Overlook