Skiing, Dwellings, and Bridges

Durango Mountain

After farming on Saturday, I headed over to Durango to meet my Uncle.  We had most delicious dinner and saw some live music.  Then, the next morning, we headed up to Durango Mountain to go skiing.  It was a ton of fun!  We found this fairly long and steep run that, at the beginning of the day was mildly terrifying, but by the end of the day was a blast!  We also had an adventure when we took a wrong turn and found ourselves having to ski through a little section of moguls with a fair amount of straw-like grass sticking up through them.  The whole day was a blast, and full of breathtaking views of the mountains! 

Hovenweep National
Monument 

The next morning, we decided not to go back because the wind was really strong and it was supposed to snow.  Instead, we went and got breakfast in town.  The waitress did not approve when I ordered two pancakes.  She tried to warn me against it, but seeing as I’ve been talked out of ordering a given amount of food in the past and then ended up stilling being hungry at the end of the meal, I went with my original order.  As it turned out, my newfound ability to eat enough for a small nation made short work of those pancakes! 

Hovenweep National 
Monument 

After our ten pounds of pancakes, my uncle and I parted ways.  I headed to the Colorado-Utah border to see Hovenweep National Monument.  The monument contains the remains of several Ancestral Puebloan dwellings.  Most of the buildings were built between 1230 and 1275.  The buildings are round, square, and “D” shaped.  Unlike Mesa Verde, these structures are not built into a cliff.  They are freestanding structures.  Most of the buildings are on the rim of the canyon, but a few of them were in the can shaped.  Unlike Mesa Verde, these structures are not built into a cliff.  They are freestanding structures.  Most of the buildings are on the rim of the canyon, but a few of them were in the canyon.  They are beautiful, well-constructed buildings in gorgeous setting.  It’s amazing to set to stroll through an environment so full of history and mystery!  It is so powerful to get to see ancient structures in their natural environment rather than in a museum! 

After leaving Hovenweep, I headed to Natural Bridges National Monument.  This was the first national park area in Utah.  The monument has three natural bridges.  From my understanding, natural bridges are a type of arch (it’s similar to the concept that all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares).  Natural arches are usually formed by a river that erodes away hollow part of the bridge.  They also tend to be a lot more symmetrical than arches.  The monument is fairly small and easily viewed by stopping at the several overlooks along the scenic road.  The bridges are situated in a gorgeous canyon that was made even more striking by the stormy skies.  I stopped to take a short hike to see the Horse Collar Ruins, which has two sections of structures built into an alcove in the canyon wall.  I continued along the road, stopping to gaze at the bridges and the canyon.  I decided to take the very short hike down to see Owachomo Bridge.  It is extremely large and impressive!  It’s the oldest and most well-developed of the bridges in the park.  While it was quick stop, I’m certainly glad I got the chance to see these bridges!        

Natural Bridges
 National Monument 

Natural Bridges
 National Monument 

Peas and Spinach

compost

My second full day of farming in Moab was totally beautiful!  I could really get used to February days being so sunny and warm!  We started the day by building a new compost pile.  Once we got into the rhythm of it, it was rather enjoyable.  Our next task was to get a row in the field ready to plant in.    First, we spread out two carloads of compost on top of the soil.  Then, Chris came and tiled the row.  Our next step was to spread out some fertilizer, then mix it into the soil with rakes.  After we raked the row fairly flat, we took this large roller with a handle and squished the dirt down with it.  Then, after marking where each row would be, we were ready to plant!  We planted two rows of spinach and two rows of peas (with three types of peas in each pea row).  After planting, we got the watering mechanisms set up.  Then, we put a bunch of metal hoops along the row and covered it with a piece of cloth to protect the row from the low night temperatures.  It was really fun to get to be part of the process of going from having a section of field that is not ready to be planted on to the point when it has four rows of seeds in it!  

An overwintered row of spinach

Hiking in the Footsteps of Pioneers and Criminals

Capitol Gorge Trail

After camping near the Freemont River (which was fun, yet a little strange to be camping under large trees and on lush grass in the middle of the desert), I headed down the scenic drive and continued onto a dirt road that led to the Capitol Gorge trail.  This was the trail that the pioneers first cleared the boulders out of, and then drove their wagons across.  The trail is a fairly narrow path between two impressively tall and sheer canyon walls.  It was amazing to get to walk the same path they took and imagine what it was like for them.  A short way down the trail you get to the Pioneer Register.  This is where the pioneers would stand on their wagons and carve their names into the canyon wall.  I enjoyed gazing at these names from so long ago and imagining what their stories were.

Pioneer Register 

On the trail to Cassidy Arch

After walking in the pioneers’ footsteps, I headed back to the scenic drive and found another dirt road that took me to the Cassidy Arch trail head.  This arch was named for Butch Cassidy because it is rumored that he used the Grand Wash as a hideout.  The hike was beautiful and full of great views of both white and red rock formations.  There was also one section of reddish-orange rock that was rolling and full of tiny holes.  So unusual and beautiful!  At the end of the hike, I was confused because I couldn’t find the anymore cairns, yet did not see the arch either.  Then I looked down and there it was!  The hike ended up on top of the arch! 

Cassidy Arch

After hiking, I drove around the park a bit, just soaking up the gorgeous and unusual scenery.  It is easy to see why it was named Capitol Reef.  You really can tell that it used to be the sight of an inland sea!  It really does look like an ocean that was frozen and fossilized.  A fossilized sea, how strange and cool!                 

Hiking High

Hickman Bridge

I had an extended break between farming days, so I decided to head over to Capitol Reef National Park.  I got up early so I would have the majority of the day to hike in the park.  As a result, I was treated to a gorgeous sunrise that enhanced the already scenic drive.  When I got close to the park there was a sign that announced “Scenic Views Next 14 Miles.”  I can get behind a place that has to warn you about just how beautiful the next stretch is! 

On the trail to
the Navajo Knobs

I headed to the visitors center to inquire about the hiking situation in the park.  In my experience, there are three types of ranger reactions when you ask for hiking recommendations.  Sometimes you talk to a ranger that pretty obviously is not fond of the park that he/she is working in.  That ranger will usually give you a recommendation, but accompany it with several negative comments.  Other times you get the ranger who is just in a rhythm of telling every visitor the same thing.  You still get some good ideas, but no real insight.  Then, sometimes you meet a ranger who loves the park and sees that you are prepared to do the necessary exploring to fall in love with it as well.  That ranger gives the best and most valuable advice!  I was lucky enough to interact with one of those rangers at Capitol Reef!  With her fantastic advice in my mind and a trail map in hand, I headed to the first trail head.

On the trail to 
the Navajo Knobs

I started off with the shorter, easier trail to Hickman Bridge.  The trail starts off right next to the Fremont River.  It was a little strange to be hiking right next to a fairly large river after being in such an arid environment for so long (and being a thousand feet above the rivers that do exist there).  As a result, Capitol Reef was much greener and full of vegetation than the other areas I’ve been in lately.  On the way to the bridge, there were remains from a grain storage structure nestled into a nook in the sandstone! 

On the trail to 
the Navajo Knobs

After arriving at and taking a break under Hickman Bridge, I continued along the loop.  When I got back to the branch in the trail, I took the Rim Overlook Trail that the ranger had recommended.  The views got better with every step!  At the beginning of the hike, the views were made up of large, white, dome-like rock structures, which were complimented by the snowcapped mountains in the distance.  There was also a great overlook above Hickman Bridge.  As I continued on the path, red rock formations were added to landscape.  By the time I got to the Rim Overlook, I had a fantastic vantage point to observe the red rock formations, the white domes structures, and the rich green of the valley.  The combination of all these colors and features was spectacular!  The trail continues for another two and half miles up to another overlook.  Up, being the operative word in that sentence, you end up gaining over 2,000 feet in elevation during the hike.  The ranger had told me that the views just kept getting better as you keep going, but she also mentioned that it is quite a steep hike (I believe her exact words were that “It can become quite a trudge.”).  At that point, thought the views were so magnificent and unlike anything else I’ve ever seen, that it made the choice to continue a no brainer (also, a little extra physical activity has never been a huge deterrent for me).  So, on I went. 

On the trail to 
the Navajo Knobs

View from the top! 

As I got higher, the wind got significantly stronger.  Apparently, south-east Utah has a tendency to get incredibly windy in the spring.  It’s really a small price to pay for the incredible weather and scenery!  However, I could have lived without it on this particular day.  The wind was so strong that I my hat was blown off my head (and luckily into a bush and not over the side of the cliff), and then, the wind started to blow me around a bit.  Well, not as if I was going to become airborne, but it definitely did push me around a bit.  As a result I had to stay a significant distance away from the cliff edges, and it also meant that I could only stay still to enjoy a view for a short while. I guess this just means that I’ll have to come back on a calmer day and take this hike again . . . gee, darn!        

View from the top! 

Again, the views just kept getting better!  Slowly, I gained a bird’s eye view of the reds and browns of the canyons off in the distance in addition to still being able to see all the other elements of the landscape.  As I slowly (yet steadily) made my way along the edge of the canyon, I kept seeing high points that I was sure would be where the overlook was.  But no, I kept marching right past those points.  As it turned out, the overlook was on top of a rock formation called the Navajo Knobs, which is the highest point in that section of the park.  After very carefully climbing up on top of the rocks, I wedged myself into a crevice on the Navajo Knobs (so as to prevent the wind from turning my euphoric moment into a tragic one), and reveled in the splendor of the outstanding views I had on all 360 degrees of me!  This was absolutely the best hike I have ever taken in my entire hiking career!  It also resulted in the biggest rush of euphoria I’ve ever experience as a result of hiking (which is saying something)!!  Incredible!!!  Completely and utterly incredible! 

View from the top! 

Hiking to the Middle of Canyonlands

Hiking on the
Confluence Overlook
Trail

I headed down to the Needles section of Canyonlands with two potential hikes in mind.  By the time I got to the park, I still hadn't decided on which hike I wanted to take, so I decided to go on the one with the trail head that is closer to the entrance station.  I started hiking, but after about twenty minutes, I had a hard time finding the cairns, so I took it as a sign that I should be taking the other hike at that particular moment in my life.  I retraced my steps and headed to the other trail head. 

Hiking on the
Confluence Overlook 
Trail

Boy am I glad that I kept losing the other trail!  The hike to the Confluence Overlook was spectacular!  The trail was delightfully challenging and scenic.  There are several sections when you are hiking in an open, grassy area surrounded by amazing rock formations in the distance on every side.  There are also several portions when you have to climb up and over a ridge to get to the next open area.  When you are up on the ridge, you get a bird’s eye view of the spectacular scenery all around you!  Plus, it’s fun to wind your way along the massive sections of slickrock!                 

The Confluence Of
the Green (left) and the
Colorado (right) Rivers

For the last mile of the trail, the hiking trail follows the four wheeling trail.  It was strange to imagine driving through this fairly remote section of the park.  I’m sure it’s a spectacularly enjoyable activity for some, but, for me, there is something about covering the ground on my own two feet and with my own energy that enhances the experience.  It allows you to become part of the landscape and soak it in with every sense.  I don’t think I would ever want to give up that part of the experience. 

The Colorado River
and a view of the Maze

The last section was especially fantastic!  After climbing up a steep section of the trail, you hike towards these large boulders.  Then, when you get past the boulders, you suddenly have a stunning view of the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers!  The rivers are a thousand feet below.  It is powerful to realize that those rivers carved the deep canyons you are looking at (and are continuing to do so)!  The two rivers are fairly different in color, so you can really see them come together and slowly become one! 

Colorado River
and a view of
Island in the Sky

This spot is also especially enjoyable to see because it is the spot that divides the three sections of the park.  The Island in the Sky section is bordered by the Green and Colorado Rivers before they come together.  That section of the park is up on a high mesa (thus the name), which gives you a chance to look down and over a good deal of the rest of the park.  The Needles section is bordered by the Colorado both before and after it comes together with the Green River.  It is the south-east section of the park and has an abundance of rock pinnacles and several canyons.  The Maze section is in the south-west portion of the park and is the most remote.  You have to take some pretty rough four wheel roads to get to the hiking trails, and those hiking trails are notoriously difficult.  It is named the maze because when you look at it from above, the cliffs and canyons look like a large, extremely rugged maze.      

Looking at the
Maze (on the right),
 a small section of
the Needles (on the left),
and the Colorado River
(in the Middle)

I lingered at the spot for quite a while.  It was amazing to get to see such an important spot in a park I love so much!  I really enjoyed getting to see part of each of the sections of the park at once!  It was also yet another great opportunity to marvel at just how powerful the forces of nature are!  So beautiful and awe-inspiring!  

Breakfast with a View

Landscape Arch

While I have never been especially fond of getting up at the crack of dawn, the morning light is so beautiful against the rock formations, which it makes getting up with the sun well worth it!  This particular morning I headed to Arches National Park to see the morning sun light up landscape arch.  As an added bonus, it had snowed the night before.  The thin layer of snow made the arches even more dramatic and beautiful!  After getting to Landscape Arch, I decided to keep going a little way down the trail.  After very carefully and slowly making my way over the extremely slippery trail, I found a perfect perch on a rock overlooking Landscape Arch.  I had the entire section of the park to myself as I ate breakfast while gazing at the impressive, snowcapped arch glow in the morning sun!

View during breakfast

Pine Tree Arch

Adventure, Challenge, and Unique Beauty

After learning that there was a very real chance of a fairly significant snowstorm heading to the area, I altered my plans to allow myself to be a little closer to home.  I decided to head down to the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park.  I headed into the visitor’s center to get some advice on what hike to take.  The ranger recommended the Chesler Park View Point trail.  She also recommended the next stretch of the trail just past the view point if I had the time and energy for it.  With her advice in mind and a trail map in hand, I headed down the dirt road to the trail head. 

One of the many reasons I absolutely adore hiking the trails in the Needles is because they twist, turn, follow along cliff edges, and thread their way through narrow passages!  This trail was no exception!  At one point, the passage that the trail wound through was just barely wide enough to allow me to walk straight through it!  The sights to be seen along these trails are made just that much more spectacular and special due to the fact that you have to put forth some effort and take part in an adventure to get to the perfect vantage point to take it in!       

This particular trail led me up to ridge with an outstanding view of the needles.  The needles are these striped rock pinnacles that are sticking up all over the landscape.  They are bizarre, striking, and beautiful!  As if the extraordinarily gorgeous scenery weren’t enough, there was a pictograph of hands situated in the nook of an alcove on the way up to the view point!  It’s so amazing that these markings from so long ago have survived for us to enjoy!  It’s remarkably strange to simultaneously feel as if you are discovering a remote wilderness and realize that people have been traveling and existing on that exact spot for thousands of years!  Just another reason why this is such a special and magical place! 

I took the ranger’s advice and decided to continue on the trail which leads down into the canyon.  There was not a less than spectacular view to be had in any direction!  I found myself turning around in circles several times on the trail.  When I got to the end of that particular section of the trail, I decided to take a slightly different way back to the return trail by following the path that led to several of the backcountry campsite.  That section of trail was especially enjoyable since it seemed to be much less traveled than any other part of the trail I had been on.  I wound my way down some rocky ledges and across some open sections of slick rock.  As I made my way back to the main trail, it started getting colder and darker.  By the time I got to the last mile and a half of the trail, it was snowing pretty hard.  It was thrilling to get to see the landscape get coated by snow while having the added challenge of making my way over slick rock that really lives up to its name when it is wet or icy.  Luckily, I was able to make it off the trail and back to the paved road before the conditions got too bad.           

Pulling Up Carrots and Weeds

Sarah working on
the compost

Saturday was my first full day of farming in Moab.  We started the day by harvesting carrots from the fall.  It was really fun!  You just use a pitchfork (that’s right. . .I use a pitchfork, which makes me feel like a real farmer!) to loosen the ground around the carrots, then dig around in the dirt until you find them.  We dug up two buckets full of carrots rather quickly!  Our next job was to weed the over-wintered spinach and onions.  I was a little skittish at first because I was terrified of pulling up something I thought was as weed and have it end up being an onion, but after some time in the field and some help from Sarah, I got over it and got into a rhythm. 

Carrots waiting
to be washed

After lunch we went back to finish turning the compost pile we had started working on the day before.  The second day of working on the project was much more enjoyable since the new pile started getting bigger than the old pile, which gave us hope that we were actually making progress!  We also built up another compost pile with the straw that had been covering the carrots (while also adding in leaves and manure).  Our last task of the day was trimming and washing the carrots.  I got immense pleasure in seeing the carrots go from being in the ground in the morning to being shiny, clean, and ready to eat by the end of the day!  It is amazing to get to witness where your food comes from, and even more incredible to get to play an active role in the process!  

Arches and Goats!

Corona Arch

Sarah (the other farm intern), Pete (her dog), and I took a morning hike to Corona Arch before farm duty began.  On the way to the trail, we saw several pictographs along the road!  Shortly after we hit the trail, we came upon two mountain goats in our path!  Pete was amazingly patient while we watched the goats scamper along the trail.  The trail was short, and quite enjoyable.  I was very impressed by Pete’s ability to get up (and down) the section of trail that had a ladder!  Corona Arch is very large and impressive!  There is also a smaller arch next to it that looks somewhat like a skylight through the rock!  When we got close to Corona Arch, a man came up to us and explained that he and his crew were taking time lapse photography of the arch and would appreciate it if we kept our distance.  So, we found a spot with a good view of the arch and the canyon and enjoyed the scenery for a bit.  Shortly into our retreat from the arch we ran back into the mountains goats!  

Arch next to Corona Arch

Sarah and the mountain goats

Even More Wonderful Than Expected!

Hiking the Park Avenue Trail

My first stop this morning was the Park Avenue trail in Arches National Park.  It’s a fairly short and easy trail just a little way up the road from the visitor’s center.  The path starts as a paved sidewalk that leads to an overlook with a display with a brief explanation of what you are looking at.  Then, after the display, the tail gets more rugged and leads you down into a canyon.  There are incredible views of various rock formations in every direction!  I really enjoy being down among or below the rock creations.  It makes me feel more immersed in the strangely beautiful landscape all around me.  It also enhances the feeling of adventure by providing a sense that I am totally lost in another world that is all mine to explore and discover. 

Hiking the Park Avenue Trail

Double Arch

After leisurely strolling across the Park Avenue trail, I headed north to Double Arch.  It is a spectacular display of the magical and peculiar beauty of Arches National Park.  The larger arch is one of the biggest arches in the park (third largest I believe), which makes it quite remarkable on its own.  But it gets better!  That large arch is complimented by a smaller arch that shares a starting point with the larger arch and ends within the larger one.  An arch within an arch!  Fantastic!  Even better, I had the spot to myself the entire time I was there!  I had lots of time to both gaze at it from afar and to climb up into it!  I can’t believe I get to have Arches National Park as my private playground!  I am one lucky girl! 

Landscape Arch

My next stop was at the Devil’s Garden.  The original plan was just to take the short hike to Landscape Arch, which is the largest arch in the park (and the world!), but when I looked at the trail description, and the clock, I realized I had time for a longer hike before I needed to report for farm duty!  I headed out on the trail towards Landscape Arch.  It truly is a magnificent sight! Not only is it extraordinarily large, it is astoundingly thin!  At one point, it seems like just a thin ribbon of rock.  You have to come see it, because, who knows how much longer it will be waiting for you!

Hiking the Devil's Garden Trail

I continued on the trail.  After just a short while past Landscape Arch, the trail takes you up on top of a ridge of rock that provides the most mind-bogglingly astonishing views!  You do have to be careful about taking in the views though, because if you lost your balance, it would be tremendously easy to topple right off that ridge!  After climbing down off the ridge, and just around the bend, is Double O Arch.  There is a large, round arch situated above and to the side of a smaller, round arch.  I hiked up to and through the arch and took the opportunity to enjoy the arch and the view through the arch while also enjoying the sun and a snack.          

Double O Arch

Hiking the Devil's Garden Trail

 After my leisurely break at Double O Arch, I assessed the situation and determined that I did indeed have time to make it a more remote arch off of the primitive trail.  The section of the primitive trial that I covered was amazing!  The trail is much less traveled than the others in the park, so as you are hiking along, it’s less obvious where the trail is heading.  As a result, you look out at everything in front of you as a potential destination.  Then, just as you are falling in love with a rock formation or arch in the distance and are getting more and more excited to get a close look at it, the trail takes you in a totally different direction.  For a moment you may be disappointed, but after a moment or two, you've already found something else in the distance that is equally intriguing!  (Obviously, the primitive trail loop calls for a second and lengthier exploration in the future!)  On this journey, I made it to Private Arch.  I was even lucky enough to have one of those wonderful, round the corner and come face to face with a significant arch, moments!  What can I say, yet another outstanding day on the trails!           

Morning Sun and an Unexpected Treat

I headed out to Arches early-ish in order to see the rocks glow in the beautiful morning light.  There were several storm clouds above head when I got there, which made for even more dramatic and beautiful lighting!  After taking in several sights along the way, I made my way to the windows section of the park.  I took a short hike to Turret Arch, which was glowing in the morning sun!  Then I hiked up to and around the North and South Window Arches.  I really love getting to see arches from both sides.  It’s amazing how your perception of an arch can really change from one side to the other!

Turret Arch

Extreme close up of Turret Arch

Sand Dune Arch

Next, I headed several miles north to the trail head for Sand Dune Arch.  It’s a short hike over (you guessed it. . .) sand and around some large rocks.  It’s secluded in a little nook in the middle of several substantial rock fins.  There’s something especially fantastic about the arches that don’t come into view until you’re fairly close to them.  I love that moment when I round the corner and my breath is taken away by the majestic display of nature’s magnificence, while I simultaneously get of rush of adrenaline from the knowledge that I was able to find the feature that until that moment I have only heard about or seen pictures of.  While, there is certainly joy in lounging by an arch for a long time or revisiting it several times, nothing quite compares with that moment of the first sighting! 

Broken Arch

After exploring Sand Dune Arch and its surrounding area for a bit, I continued on the trail.  The trail passed through an open, sandy area for quite a while.  I am fairly sure I saw mountain lion tracks in the sand!  The next major event on the trail was my viewing of Broken Arch.  It is named that because there is a spot in the middle of the top that looks like it was broken and patched back together.  The trail went right through the arch!  I took several moments to bask in the sun and gaze at the marvelous view.  After a leisurely rest, I continued on the portion of the trail that loops back to the parking lot.  Much to my delight and surprise I found signs leading to a trail for an arch that did not make it onto the park map!  I hiked a short way off the loop trail to Tapestry Arch.  It is quite a large and substantial arch!  I had a blast hiking up into the arch and getting some great views of both the arch and the surrounding area!

Tapestry Arch