Wednesday, 29th September 2010
Our main journey today was to travel to Cortez but first we were to pay a return visit to Arches National Park. Our first stop was at Park Avenue, to do a linear walk between the towering walls of the canyon. It was then on to the Windows section of the park where we would find more arches, or windows, with varying names. Another trip in the coach took us to Wolfe Ranch where it is hard to believe anyone could have survived. The last arch of the day was to be the most spectacular, Delicate Arch. After an interesting walk along paths and over rock it suddenly appears as if out of nowhere. In a magnificent setting the arch soars heavenward - what a treat!
Park Avenue Trail is an easy hike along a canyon floor, offering close-up views of massive fins, balanced rocks and lofty monoliths. From Park Avenue parking area, the trail descends steeply into a spectacular canyon and continues down the wash to Courthouse Towers.
Wolfe Ranch: John Wesley Wolfe settled in the location in 1888 with his oldest son Fred. He chose this tract of more than 100 acres (0.40 km2) along Salt Wash for its water and grassland - enough for a few cattle. The Wolfes built a one-room cabin, a corral, and a small dam across Salt Wash. For more than a decade they lived alone on the remote ranch. In 1906, Wolf's daughter Flora Stanley, her husband, and their children moved to the ranch. Shocked at the primitive conditions, Stanley convinced her father to build a new cabin with a wood floor and they lived here for nearly ten years.
Delicate Arch is one of Utah's most famous icons and has
become its unofficial symbol. You see images of it everywhere: on magazine
covers, computer screen savers and license plates. But photos do not adequately
convey the stunning beauty that hits you as you come over the ridge and see the
arch in person for the first time - when you stand under it, the arch towering
above your head, slickrock canyons falling away below you, the snow-covered La
Sal Mountains in the distance. It is a spectacular sight.
The vertical slabs that make up the walls of the canyon . . .
are called 'fins'
Could this be called 'Tree Arch'?
The towering walls . . .
continue along each side of the canyon . . .
until it opens out towards the end . . .
where you can find 'The Three Gossips' . . .
and 'Sheep Rock'
North and South windows . . .
and walking round the back of them we move on to . . .
Turret Arch . . .
and zooming in
At Double Arch three major openings are enlarging side by side . . .
They all began as one pothole arch.
Then water seeped through the cliff face to form an alcove, which eventually became another arch
Looking out from Double Arch . . .
and a noisy raven . . .
makes its presence known
Wolfe Ranch, built in 1906 to replace the original cabin . . .
and the root cellar
The stylised horse and rider surrounded by big horn sheep and dog-like animals is typical of the Ute rock art
Continuing on our route we head for . . .
a large section of . . .
slickrock - which really reflects the heat
The amazing Delicate Arch comes into view . . .
and deserves time spent . . .
just enjoying the scene . . .
and taking photos . . .
of this amazing area
On the return journey side canyons . . .
are worthy of notice . . .
but this path almost looks like the seaside!