Day 12: delicate balance
Thursday, September 14, 2006
The temperature forecast for the Moab, UT area today was 91. This is why I wanted to be at Arches NP just after dawn to hike to Delicate Arch. However, I was easily convinced to sleep in and stay at our inn for breakfast. The trade-off for extra sleep and food was a hotter hike. I’m glad we ate though because anything we would have snacked on from our stash would not have been enough. We were starving by the time we left Arches.
5 named arches and a handful of unnamed arches
4+ miles of hiking
3 hrs for the entire adventure – not bad
By the time we left the Devils Garden area it was 92 degrees (12:30pm). It had only been 80 when we finished hiking the Delicate Arch trail an hour or so earlier.
We both loved the Delicate Arch hike, and I’m including an iconic picture of the arch though I got some different angles also. I did not get under the arch as there was a line and we had more to do and see. We did not like the hike we did in Devils Garden.
I was so impressed to see that at least half the people hiking to Delicate Arch this morning would be considered senior citizens. We passed a pair of women who had to be in their 70s, and at least a couple other groups the same age. Way to go! I felt pretty lame having to take a couple breaks at only 30 after seeing them. So it seems that I’ve made a goal to hike to Delicate Arch again (or an equivalent) in at least 40 years (though I may hike it sooner also). So mark your calendars if you’d like to join me. ;)
After our hikes, and lunch in Moab we drove along the Colorado River. We’ve now driven along, or over three major US rivers . . . Mississippi, Rio Grande, and the Colorado. We decided we wanted to get to Aspen sooner than later so we caved and took I-70 part of the way. It was not a pretty drive to say the least. We passed one section of UT128 (just as we were to get onto I70) that looked like the perfect setting for any given horror film. Donnell insisted one was probably taking place right then.
We eventually got off the interstate though we did not take the scenic byway. We were certain any choice would still be scenic. We were wrong. We did discover that if you are interested in an old car or RV that Delta, CO probably has it for you. We drove through a couple coal-mining towns on CO82 (that was very interesting). After those towns, there were two beautiful national forests before we hit Carbondale and then Aspen.
Tonight we’re in Aspen. We had dinner at a great vegetarian restaurant inside a bookstore. From our time in town, Aspen seems very pretentious. We don’t like it, though it is very pretty. We’ll take Telluride any day! Many people here seem to have a cigarette and an attitude versus the masses toting their dogs in Telluride. Donnell concurs.
Highlights: Delicate Arch; Planet Juice; Colorado River byway; CO82 byway; Explore Bookstore; Cali Cochitta’s coffee choice (caffe ibis)
posted by Shannon @ 14.9.06,
