The Windows in Arches National Park

Once again we went back to Arches National Park, for one last time (for now). This time, we headed to The Windows, a part we quickly visited on the first day. But this time we did some hiking to the various arches.

The entrance sign again:

Entrance sign

Animal sculptures by the visitor center:

Animal sculptures

Info signs for The Windows:

Info sign

The Windows from the start of the trail:

Windows

Rocks

Heading towards an arch:

Arch

A small arch off to the side:

Small arch

An interesting tree:

Tree

North Window arch:

North Window arch

View through the arch:

View through the arch

Under the arch:

Under the arch

North Window arch

Turret Arch:

Turret Arch

South Window Arch:

South Window Arch

North and South Window Arches:

North and South Window Arches

Turret Arch:

Turret Arch

Wedding couple:

Wedding couple

Turret Arch

A parking lot sign caught my eye:

Parking Lot sign

A fun closer view of it:

Park

North and South Window Arches:

North and South Window Arches

Double Arch trail:

Double Arch trail info

Sunset

Info

Sunset

Double Arch

Sunset and tree

Double Arch

Landscape Arch in Arches National Park

We went back to Arches National Park the next day, driving straight to the end of the park, to do the Landscape Arch hike. This is a fairly easy 1.9 mile (3.1 km) stroll along a mostly flat gravel and sand path, though there were some short steep hills.

The line of cars to get through the entrance station; we continue to believe that all parks should have an express line for people with park passes; most of the holdup is due to people paying and/or asking questions:

Entrance queue

Looking downhill at the entrance station and switchbacks:

Switchbacks

Rocks:

Rocks

The parking area for the Landscape Arch and Devils Garden hikes:

Rocks and parking

Info on the trail, and also how the fins are formed:

Info

Start of the hike:

Start of the hike

Path

Rocks

Path

Rocks

A first look at the Landscape Arch; a little hard to see against the backdrop of rocks:

Landscape Arch

Info:

Info

Closer:

Landscape Arch

Easier to see with sky behind it:

Landscape Arch

Another nearby arch:

Arch

Landscape Arch

Jenn taking a picture of me:

Jenn

The path used to go under the arch, but that is closed since part of it collapsed:

End of the path

Landscape Arch

Jenn & David

Landscape Arch

On the way back, we took a half-mile side path to Pine Tree arch:

Pine Tree arch

And the Tunnel arches:

Tunnel arches

Back at the start of the trail:

End of the trail

Afterwards, we had a picnic dinner at a nice spot:

Picnic dinner

We were rather hot, but had come prepared with cooling headbands; I kinda look like a hippie:

David with cooling headband

Finally, some fins:

Fins

Sand Dune Arch, picnic, secret back road for Arches National Park

We had an afternoon timed-entry ticket for Arches National Park, so went there a second time, this time going to the visitor center:

Arches sign

Some animal sculptures outside:

Sculptures

Relief map:

Relief map

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Rocks:

Rocks

Tree

Rocks

Lizard

Rocks

A short hike to Sand Dune Arch, nestled amongst rock fins:

Rocks

Arch:

Arch

Jenn & David

Rocks

Tree

Skyline Arch:

Skyline Arch

We stopped in a nice picnic area:

Picnic area

And had a picnic dinner at a very secluded table:

Picnic dinner

Rocks

On a whim, we decided to head down a dirt road (I had previously checked it on the map):

Dirt road

It led to the Tower Arch trailhead:

Rocks

Jenn

We then continued along the road, leaving the park via the “secret” back entrance to the park:

Dirt road

Salt Valley Road, via public BLM land; you could avoid the timed entry requirement by coming in this way, though it is several miles of rough dirt road, so not for the faint of heart or non-4WD vehicles:

Dirt road

Back to the highway:

Dirt road

Hickman Bridge Trail hike in Capitol Reef

We again went to Capitol Reef National Park, this time to the Goosenecks Point overlook and a hike on the Hickman Bridge trail.

Some pics of Torrey, Utah on the way through:

Torrey

An old house:

Old house

We really like the look of this stone building:

Nice stone building

There’s a police car parked by the side of the road, with a mannequin inside:

Police car with mannequin

The road to Goosenecks Point:

Rocks

A bunch of pics from Goosenecks Point:

Goosenecks Point

Then we proceeded to the Hickman Bridge trail, for a two-mile hike to a natural bridge arch:

Hickman Bridge trail

We went to Slacker’s Burger Joint in Torrey for dinner after the hike:

Slacker’s Burger Joint

And shared an indulgence for dessert:

Slacker’s Burger Joint

Finally, a screenshot from the AllTrails app of the trail map:

Trail map

Capitol Reef National Park

We visited Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. It is a long skinny park, encompassing the Waterpocket Fold, “a geologic wrinkle on earth” (quoting from the NPS site; really should be “in earth”).

Here’s a map; click it to explore the NPS map:

Capitol Reef signs:

Capitol Reef sign

Lots of interesting rocks:

Rocks

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Jenn talking with someone else at the cancellation stamping station:

Jenn stamping

Visitor center

A large wall-mounted map:

Map

Rocks

Marmot crossing

We stopped by Gifford House, a historic Mormon homestead, which now contains a gift and pie shop:

Gifford House

We bought a couple of fruit pies as a snack:

Pies

We also got a jam sampler:

Jams

Outside:

Cart

Horse

Back on the scenic drive in the park:

Rocks

Our drive led to the trailhead for a hike though a canyon, and on impulse we decided to do it (which was a bit silly, as we weren’t properly dressed for it, but oh well):

Hike trailhead

Rocks

Flowers

Rocks

Petroglyphs:

Petroglyphs

Some names from 1911, halfway up a wall:

Names

Rocks

A painter:

Painter

Rocks

The “pioneer register” rock etchings from the 1880’s:

Rock etching

A security camera to make sure nobody adds more markings (probably battery powered, recording for later review; or maybe a dummy):

Camera

Rocks

Jenn & David

Rocks

Back in the truck:

Rocks

Blowing dust:

Dust

Rocks

A nice park. Stay tuned for more posts from here from subsequent days.

Mossy Cave Trail hike, Bryce Canyon

Within the Bryce Canyon National Park boundary, but separated from the main part of the park, is a short hike called Mossy Cave Trail. This hike is 0.8 miles (1.3 km) out-and-back, with an elevation change of 300 feet (91m).

Here’s the trailhead:

Trailhead

Jenn with hiking poles; the first time we used them, very useful on the steep and rough path:

Jenn

Some nice views from the trail:

Rocks

Trail

Bridge

Water

Rocks

Bridge

A waterfall:

Water

Waterfall

Rocks

Waterfall

Rocks

Waterfall

Water

Waterfall and rocks

Rocks

Another path leads to the Mossy Cave:

Mossy Cave

Really more of an overhang than a cave:

Mossy Cave

Still some ice lingering in the shade:

Mossy Cave

A hike in Joshua Tree National Park

We visited Joshua Tree National Park when last in the Palm Springs area back in December, but decided to visit it a second time in early February, specifically to go for a short hike.

We went in the south entrance (where we exited last time), and stopped at the visitor center there. There was a singing park ranger:

Singing park ranger

After exploring a campground (too small for our coach), a picnic lunch, and considering a hike near the visitor center, we continued on towards the joshua tree part of the park. Passing some interesting rocks on the way:

Rocks

Some joshua trees:

Joshua trees

The parking areas were too full to do more popular hikes, so on a whim we turned down a dirt road:

Dirt road

Some interesting rocks by the road:

Rocks and dirt road

We stopped at an access point for rock climbers, and explored that area as an informal hike:

Rocks

If you look closely, you may spot several rock climbers:

Climbers

A selfie:

David

I’m valiantly holding up a rock:

David holding up a rock

Branch and rock

A wave-shaped rock:

Rocks

Young joshua tree:

Young joshua tree

Rocks:

Rocks

Me taking a photo:

David taking a photo

Of this:

Rocks

Jenn and me:

Jenn and David

Another rock climber:

Climber

More rocks:

Rocks

A small cactus:

Cactus

Joshua tree:

Joshua tree

Rocks and joshua trees:

Rocks and joshua trees

Rocks

A bird:

Bird

I like the glowing effect of the sun behind the tip of the rock:

Sun behind rocks

More lens flare with the sun touching the tip of the rock:

Sun and rocks

Joshua trees:

Joshua trees

Rocks

We’re liken the lichen:

Mossy rock

Three colors:

Three colors of lichen

Rocks and joshua trees:

Rocks and joshua trees

Jenn on a rock:

Jenn on a rock

Me joining her:

David

Jenn posing:

Jenn posing

Me:

David

Shadows:

Shadows

More interesting rocks:

Rocks

Hike in Coachella Valley Preserve

While staying at Catalina Spa & RV Resort (look for a post about that later), we took a hike in the nearby Coachella Valley Preserve. We wanted to explore the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve within the Coachella Valley Preserve, but were misled by their map, and ended up doing a longer hike than planned.

The Coachella Valley Preserve sign:

Coachella Valley Preserve sign

Entrance to the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve:

Entrance

The very inaccurate map; we thought the Hidden Palms Loop hike looked interesting, and allegedly fairly easy for us novice hikers at 1.75 miles roundtrip, according to the table in the map:

Map

But it was full of lies; the Hidden Palms Loop was in fact more like five or six miles, and very badly marked. We went about halfway (mostly on loose sand) before we lost the trail, and turned back; a total of about three hours. Not a long hike for most people, but we’re not really in shape for such a journey, especially not in the heat of the desert. (Yes, we did have hiking boots, hats, suitable clothing, water, and snacks; we weren’t totally unprepared. But there’s definitely improvements we could make.)

We better know our limits now, that’s for sure:

Signs

Palm trees in the oasis at the start:

Palm trees

Sign

Palm trees

David

Palm trees

Following the trail; a nice path to start:

Path

More palm trees:

Palm trees

The path crossed the road:

Crossing road

The trail continues:

Trail

Inside of a cactus:

Inside of cactus

Birds circling; we’re not dead yet:

Birds

The trail became soft sand, and less clearly defined:

Trail

A stream:

Stream

A wash from heavy rains:

Wash

Interesting texture:

Interesting texture

Me with a trail marker, but not much of a trail:

David

So much desert:

Desert

The less-clearly-defined trail:

Trail

We saw several of the lizards that are a focus of the preserve:

Lizard

More desert:

Desert

Not the most interesting hike, and the hidden palms were so well hidden that we didn’t find them. We looked at a better map when we got home (there wasn’t enough cell signal to see much while out there), and found where it went. But it definitely wasn’t what we were expecting.

We turned around once we lost the path, and got some tasty breakfast for dinner on the way home (i.e. back to our coach), then headed to the thermal pool for a couple hours soak for our tired muscles.

We also bought the AllTrails app, so will have better access to maps for our next hike.

Sinclair Trails

The travels of David and Jennifer Sinclair, full-timing in their Tiffin Allegro Bus 40SP motorhome.

hike

The Windows in Arches National Park

Landscape Arch in Arches National Park

Sand Dune Arch, picnic, secret back road for Arches National Park

Hickman Bridge Trail hike in Capitol Reef

Capitol Reef National Park

Mossy Cave Trail hike, Bryce Canyon

A hike in Joshua Tree National Park

Hike in Coachella Valley Preserve