After a day of exploring by truck, we (I) decided to do some hikes. (I was really tired of Dave's suspension bouncing me around aaaaalllll day loooong) Dave's done a few hikes in Arches, but we (I) decided he needed to see more. He hadn't been to the Windows, my favorite, or Park Avenue, so that's what we focused on. Park Avenue is one of my favorite hikes because it's usually not crowded and it's a quick two-mile hike to get in on the way home from work or in a free morning.
View of rock formations along Park Avenue. Named for New York's Park Avenue, the canyon walls are huge, tall rock fins of Entrada Sandstone lining a narrow wash. (Entrada is the arch-forming sandstone in Arches, which is home to over 2,000 named arches)
Dark red fins in front of a clear blue sky.
Nefertiti Rock--looks like an Egyptian Queen. What I want to know, is "how did this happen?!"
Park Avenue is impressive enough looking up at those huge rock formations, but when you look closer at some of the smaller wonders, it's too much to take in all at once! This Newberry's Twinpod caught my eye in a sandy area of the wash. What usually happens is this: Dave looks at the rock formations and knows in what environment it was deposited and its time period. I look at the ground for tracks and scat, flowers and other cool little things.....
......like this! Crossbedded sandstone making fun patterns on the floor of the wash. Dave walked right over it, so I called him back to "look at the ground."
I've got pictures of some very "cute" tracks in the sandy places of this wash, but I'll save those for another post. Happy hiking!
4 comments:
Great & fun photos! Thanks for sharing them.
It's raining (again!) here in the Pacific Northwest, so I especially appreciate that clear blue sky & proof that it is warm elsewhere in the world.
Hey, Ranger Kim, you might appreciate the "Interpreter Stories" on this blog as much as I do: www.rockpaperlizard.blogspot.com/ (look for the tab at the top of the page). I was an interpretive naturalist at Mount Saint Helens for about 6 summers, and I love the stories this guy tells.
Thanks for letting me visit Arches vicariously today!
Thanks for the suggestion! I'll check it out... it's a really cute name too.
So pretty! I would love to get to Arches one of these days! If I get down there anytime soon, I'll give you a heads-up so we can get together!!! : )
amazing and beautiful pictures!!
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