Tower Arch
This was a mellow and extremely scenic start to our Moab trip, and we had a great time. The weather was perfect, and the hike down to the arch was really nice.
Bob had a bad start, breaking a couple lug bolts the night before while trying to rotate his tires. He got new bolts and he was ready to go.
The drive through Arches National Park was so scenic it was almost difficult to stay on the pavement at times. We looked at everything around us, but we didn't stop. We overshot our turn on the dirt road, so we had to turn around and go back. We aired down at the first wide spot in the road, then headed to the trailhead. It was really dusty, but not too bumpy.
The trail started off nicely with some rocks in a steep section. We kept enjoying the scenery and sunshine as we worked our way to the end of the trail. There were some sections where we could choose a different line, finding some good ledges to negotiate.
When we got to the end, we decided to hike to the arch first and then come back for lunch. The hike wasn't a particularly easy one, but we made it just fine. It was shady under the arch, with a gentle breeze. It would be easy to nap there all day.
There were a few people under the arch with us, and everyone had a smile on their face. Some of the guys hiked around on the rocks near the arch, too. We hung out for a little bit, then went back to our vehicles.
It was a toasty lunch with no shade, but we enjoyed it. We chatted with some people who were also parked there. It was a really nice lunch.
We headed out, following a Toyota FJ that did really well. When we got to the pavement we reconnected swaybars and headed over to the Delicate Arch hiking trail.
The hike to Delicate Arch was steep in places but not particularly difficult. It was worth it to see the arch. It's huge, and perched right on the edge of a cliff. We took lots of pictures and then headed back.
We also took the time to walk around the Windows, which was another great hike though it was much easier. We were on the back side of the Windows when a bolt of lightening struck very near us. It was loud and we all jumped and yelled.
When we got back to our Jeeps it started pouring rain as we headed out. It was really, really raining hard. Our timing was perfect, and it was interesting to see all of the water coming down off of the slickrock.
It was a fabulous day!
Reports from Other Days: 2
Use the arrows or dots to flip through the previews of the other reports for Tower Arch. Click one of them to read more and see all of the photos from that day.
