After packing up camp we headed back through downtown Moab and up to Arches. This marks my fifth visit to the park; one for each trip I've taken west of the Mississippi. We made our usual stop at the visitor center for water and bathrooms, and then we went to the parking lot for Delicate Arch. After contacting a park ranger about a dog locked inside a truck in the hot ass desert heat and finding that they couldn't do anything because there was some water in there, we began our hike with suspision about each person we passed, wondering if they owned the truck.
We hiked the relatively short but steep trail up to Delicate Arch. There were a lot of people up there, and as always, a group of people kept walking up to the arch making it hard to take photos. After a while they finally got enough shots and moved away. We took some feet shots and sat on the edge to have a snack, which intrigued the little chipmunk that lives nearby. We had some fun with him for a while and then headed down. It was hot.
Next stop was Double O Arch and the Devil's Garden trail. This is another tradition as I've hiked this trail to Double O every time I've visited the park. It's one of my favorite hikes anywhere and I'm never disappointed with it. We tried to get some good foot shots on the fins. I'm still not sure how I feel about them. We hiked to the arch and, with certainty, on top of the arch. It's slightly less exhilerating than it was before, but it's still an amazing viewpoint. We opted to not take the desert trail back because it's just long, hot, and exposed. The only good part about it is the big fins we can climb along the way. Next time.
We came back to Moab, where we hopped in the showers at our favorite local campground. I went over to Moab Brewery for a bite to eat and a beer sampler while Joanna finished her shower. I really enjoyed the Rocket Bike American Lager, Scorpion Pale Ale, and Johnny's American IPA. After she finished her shower we got back on the road headed out of Utah.
A nice road it is and quite empty.We headed north and got back on I-70 to Grand Junction. We stopped there so Joanna could find some food, and I went to Kannah Creek Brewery to do a quick sampling. I was given four samples for free, so that was pretty nice.Their Standing Wave Pale Ale was really great. I wish I had some time to spend there, but we had to be going.
We got into the Vail area a couple of hours before Laura was done work, so we found a shopping village nearby where I could get something to eat and watch some shows to relax for a bit. It was nice unwinding time before going to Laura's when she got home. We met her roommate and her dog and stayed up for a while talking about races and living in the area. It was nice getting sleep on a couch.
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