Arches National Park

Spectacular rocks in Arches National Park
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“The formation of the arches began 300 million years ago in the Pennsylvanian Period, when salt water from a nearby ocean flooded the area.” So begins a description of the origin of the 2000-plus formations that make up Arches National Park. It’s in a sentence like this that the term “Geologic Time” begins to make a little sense. What “nearby ocean?” There isn’t an ocean within 700 miles (1125 km) of Arches National Park. But there was one, in a geologic age long ago.

Jayne conquers a small summit in Arches NP
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Essentially, the body of water flooded, deposited salt, and evaporated – over and over and over again. That left a lot of salt, which collected silt and debris washing down the hill. The debris compressed into thick rock, squeezing out the salt as the rocks got thicker and heavier. Eventually, both the salt and the rock formation stopped, and erosion took over. During “recent” geologic time (within the last 10 million years or so) erosion has stripped away more than 5,000 vertical feet of rock, exposing the Entrada Sandstone, the material of the arches.

Where Time Stands Still

Part of the trail up to Delicate Arch, in Arches NP
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This is the crash course; for more info, consult the experts, or visit one of the many websites discussing the wonders of the Moab, Utah arches.  Here is one of them:

http://www.americanparknetwork.com/parkinfo/ar/geology/index.html

The night before, Jayne and I had reached this Red Rock Country at the end of a long drive, so we hadn't appreciated the spectacle of the amazing rock formations that make Moab famous.

November 1, great shorts weather in Arches National Park. Jayne, climbing up to the Delicate Arch formation.
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Armed with a few notes from innkeeper Teague Eckelsten of the Mount Peale Lodge, we headed back to Moab to hike a few of the arches.  We especially wanted to climb up Delicate Arch, famous for its place at the center of Utah's license plates, and in millions of photos from visitors worldwide.  Plus, my best friend Jayne wanted to get a Utah quarter, and we figured this was the place to do it.

Arches NP is situated about 5 miles north of Moab, along Route 191.  Admission is $10 per vehicle, a fee that includes all occupants.  Driving into the park, we were awestruck by the immensity of the rocks and the grandeur of the vistas.  I  immediately recalled the first line of "Desert Solitaire," which has become an American classic about the experiences of park ranger at Arches in the late 1950s:  "This is the most beautiful place on earth."  Geologic time moves so slowly that these huge rocks are the very ones described in the book, sort of the "Walden Pond" of Arches.  Here are some photos from the US Geological Survey, of Arches: http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/arches2/html/thumbs.htm

Parking lot entrance to The Windows formation. We also hiked down a more primitive trail behind the rocks.
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Certainly, the landscape is stark.  And yet there is a definite beauty in it.  Jayne and I parked at a formation called "The Windows" and walked up to the arches that comprise it.  A longer (a mile or so) more primitive trail leads behind the North and South Windows, back to the parking lot.  We walked that trail, an easy hike but at least we were finally walking.  Not far from The Windows parking lot is the trail to Delicate Arch, easily the most famous arch in Utah.  The Delicate Arch trail leads up a bald rock face to circle behind the formation and eventually bring you up above the arch, with another knock-your-socks-off view.

Famed Delicate Arch, with tiny Jayne photographing it from the base
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By now, we were feeling the hot sun of the day and had peeled down to short sleeves and shorts.  That's the nice thing about those hiking pants that zip off to shorts -- eventually you will get warm enough to use the zip-off feature.  Jayne, an avid hiker who has done much more climbing than I, reached the top first, so I was able to take a photo of her lying under the arch with her camera.  At first glance all you see is the arch, then you'll notice tiny Jayne in a corner at the base. We walked down the Delicate Arch trail and back to our now-thoroughly-dirty Jeep, and drove through the park where time stands still.  There is a lot to see in Arches NP, and we vowed to see more of the park, next time.