I spent Sunday recovering from the climbing I had done the day before by sitting in the lounge area of the Jackson Lake Lodge where they had free wi-fi. I then went to Moose Junction where I could rent my climbing shoes for tomorrow. Sunday evening I had dinner at the Signal Mountain Lodge, just up the road from my campsite, where I met Heather who was one of the breakfast chefs at the lodge. It turns out she is from the Seattle area so I go some good tips of things to do and see when I make it out that way. After eating and having a few local beers, I followed Heather up to the staff housing area to enjoy the companionship of some other people near my age...it has been tough finding people my age in the campsites I have been staying in where they have largely been dominated by families with small children.
I woke early on Monday in order to get to the climbing office by 6:30am. While it was a little cool, the day look promising with just a few clouds in the otherwise bright blue sky. After taking the 7am ferry across Jenny Lake, Peter (my guide) and I hiked about 45 minutes until we reached the base of Baxter's Pinnacle. We strapped on our harnesses and helmets and started up the first pitch. While very challenging, the first few climbs up the different faces were conquered. However, after climbing up about 400 vertical feet, the last pitch I faced before reaching the summit was one that I was not prepared for. It required that I place my left foot on a triangular piece of rock with my left hand precariously wedged in a tiny crack far up to my left. With that body placement, I then had to basically swing myself out over the cliff and strain to reach a rock well beyond my reach with my right hand. Thank goodness for Peter. There was no way I would have made it up that face without his steady hand securing me from above through his belay system. But, I reached the summit. It had taken nearly 3.5 hours and we had climbed over 500 vertical feet. I can't begin to tell you the respect I have gained for climbers and how humbled I have been over the past few days. All that being said, this was an experience of a lifetime. I just hope I can get my heart to stop racing by tonight so I can get some sleep.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Grand Tetons, part 1
Thursday morning I began the long drive to the other side of the state to Grand Teton National Park. I arrived around sunset and had to scramble around to find a campsite. While I didn’t get the most scenic spot, it would do for the night.
Friday morning I moved to new campground on Jackson Lake and made camp. I then proceeded to hike up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. The hike was easy but treated to me some great views of Jenny Lake, the Tetons, and a fantastic waterfall. Once I had returned from the hike, I made way my to the Exum Mountain Guide office and signed up for a private rock climbing lesson for the following day. If all goes well and I impress my instructor enough I will be climbing the Tetons on Sunday or Monday.
I met my guide, Peter, at 8am at the Exum Mountain Guide offices and we proceeded to take a short ferry ride across Jenny Lake to the Hidden Falls area where we would be spending the next 7 hours. Peter began by discussing body placement and the different features of the rock that I should take into account when climbing. From there, we moved on to practicing several knots that we would be using throughout the day. Once I was comfortable with that, we started climbing. I would watch as Peter lead the way up crevices, cracks, and seemingly smooth rock faces, placing protectors on the rock along the way to prevent us from falling to our demise. Once Peter was in a safe area where he could spot me, I would begin my ascent. We did three separate climbs that varied in difficulty and necessary maneuvers, completely humbling me and giving me an entirely new respect for rock climbers. To cap off the lesson, I repelled down from the top of "Open Book" twice, each providing a 120 foot free fall, with nothing preventing me from being pancaked at the bottom but my right hand controlling the speed of the rope passing through my harness.
After the lesson, Peter said that I was prepared to do several different climbs in the Tetons, so before leaving the area, I signed up to climb Baxter's Peak on Monday morning. I then made my way to Climber's Ranch where I could pay $5 for a shower...and it was well worth it. It had been at least a week since my previous cleaning and after all the hiking and climbing I had been doing, I could barely stand my own stench.
Friday morning I moved to new campground on Jackson Lake and made camp. I then proceeded to hike up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. The hike was easy but treated to me some great views of Jenny Lake, the Tetons, and a fantastic waterfall. Once I had returned from the hike, I made way my to the Exum Mountain Guide office and signed up for a private rock climbing lesson for the following day. If all goes well and I impress my instructor enough I will be climbing the Tetons on Sunday or Monday.
I met my guide, Peter, at 8am at the Exum Mountain Guide offices and we proceeded to take a short ferry ride across Jenny Lake to the Hidden Falls area where we would be spending the next 7 hours. Peter began by discussing body placement and the different features of the rock that I should take into account when climbing. From there, we moved on to practicing several knots that we would be using throughout the day. Once I was comfortable with that, we started climbing. I would watch as Peter lead the way up crevices, cracks, and seemingly smooth rock faces, placing protectors on the rock along the way to prevent us from falling to our demise. Once Peter was in a safe area where he could spot me, I would begin my ascent. We did three separate climbs that varied in difficulty and necessary maneuvers, completely humbling me and giving me an entirely new respect for rock climbers. To cap off the lesson, I repelled down from the top of "Open Book" twice, each providing a 120 foot free fall, with nothing preventing me from being pancaked at the bottom but my right hand controlling the speed of the rope passing through my harness.
After the lesson, Peter said that I was prepared to do several different climbs in the Tetons, so before leaving the area, I signed up to climb Baxter's Peak on Monday morning. I then made my way to Climber's Ranch where I could pay $5 for a shower...and it was well worth it. It had been at least a week since my previous cleaning and after all the hiking and climbing I had been doing, I could barely stand my own stench.
Devil's Tower
I took it easy Wednesday morning and explored a few more viewpoints in Custer State Park before heading north to Deadwood. My plan was just to stop for lunch, but as it turned out, I walked into Saloon 10 just in time to see the reenactment of the day Wild Bill Hickok was shot in the saloon while holding aces and eights (dead man’s hand). After lunch I got back in my car and headed west with my goal being Devil’s Tower National Monument in northeastern Wyoming.
The drive towards the monument was fairly uninteresting with the flat landscape dominating the area, but when Devil’s Tower comes into view, it takes your breath away. The tower rises up out of nothing and forces your eye to focus on it above all else. I pitched camp, did a little laundry, and then made my way to the tower for sunset. Watching the sun set over the plains of South Dakota while illuminating this massive tower really made me think how insignificant we all are and how easily nature can dominate mankind. Despite all of the technology and advencements we have made, we are still at the mercy of Mother Nature. After the sun set I returned to my campgrounds where they were showing Steven Spielberg’s "Encounters of the Third Kind" that was filmed at the tower.
The drive towards the monument was fairly uninteresting with the flat landscape dominating the area, but when Devil’s Tower comes into view, it takes your breath away. The tower rises up out of nothing and forces your eye to focus on it above all else. I pitched camp, did a little laundry, and then made my way to the tower for sunset. Watching the sun set over the plains of South Dakota while illuminating this massive tower really made me think how insignificant we all are and how easily nature can dominate mankind. Despite all of the technology and advencements we have made, we are still at the mercy of Mother Nature. After the sun set I returned to my campgrounds where they were showing Steven Spielberg’s "Encounters of the Third Kind" that was filmed at the tower.
Wind Cave and Custer State Park
Monday morning I woke up early to try and get a hike in before my 1pm Wild Cave Tour. I jumped on the Lookout Point Trail that follows the rolling hills of the prairie and then connects with Centennial Trail to take me back to my starting point. The hike was nice and I passed through several prairie dog communities and saw a buffalo up close. It is easy to see how the prairie dogs got their name as they all emitted high pitched barks with tails wagging furiously as I approached their dens. As for the buffalo, I got within about 15 yards before deciding that was close enough, since I had no safety zone and would not be able to out run a mad buffalo in that terrain. After I connected with the Centennial Trail, things started to go wrong. I’m not sure if I missed a turn or if the trails were just poorly marked, but I ended up wandering around the prairies and eventually connected again with my original Lookout Point Trail, turning what should have been an easy 4.5 mile round trip hike into at least 6 miles.
The Wild Cave Tour was good, but it was a little slow and unadventurous for me. With their warning of being able to fit through a 10 inch gap, I was expecting to be challenged a bit during the tour, but that was not the case. However, the cave is exceptional and includes a formation known as box work that is a result of how the cave was made. Also, there were several other formations in the cave that were amazing, including one that looked like a crystalline porcupine. The cave tour lasted four hours despite only covering less than a mile of terrain. After the tour, I jumped in my car and headed north to the Crazy Horse Memorial. This memorial is one of kind and it’s just in its beginning stages. Like Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial is cut out of the face of a mountain. But, the size and detail going into this memorial puts Mount Rushmore to shame. When finished, the memorial will be of the head and torso of Crazy Horse as he sits upon his horse. Only the horse’s head and neck will be included. Right now, on the face of Crazy Horse is completed and they are working on the horse’s head. To give you an idea of the size of this memorial, the entire Mount Rushmore carving can fit into the head of Crazy Horse. The project began in the 1940s and is completely privately funded due to the creators’ desire to not accept federal funding because of their belief that the money should come from people who truly care for Crazy Horse and other Native Americans. While it may not ever be completed in my lifetime, I feel blessed to have seen it and added my support to the project. I hung around the memorial until nightfall as each night there is a laser light show. The light show was pretty incredible as it projected lasers onto the mountainside for over 45 minutes telling the history about Crazy Horse and Native Americans.
The next morning I packed up my camp and made my way to Custer State Park, just a few miles north of Wind Cave National Park. I then decided to hike to Harney Peak, the highest peak east of the Rockies and west of the Pyrenees in Europe. It’s hard to imagine the force the earth generated to force the earth to reach towards the heavens in the flatland dominated landscape of western South Dakota. The view from the top was a panoramic view of the Black Hills and surrounding areas. After the hike, I drove the Wildlife Loop of Custer State Park and then accessed Iron Mountain Road that leads to Mount Rushmore. Iron Mountain Road was an engineering marvel when it was built and it still amazes those that drive it. There are three tunnels that pass through the mountainside and each is situated so that as you pass through you are treated to a view of the four presidents carved into the granite. Like the Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore has a night program, albeit not close to the level of the latter. The night program consisted of a ranger talk about the construction of the mountain and a brief history as to why Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt were included in the carving. It ended with lights illuminating the massive structure.
The Wild Cave Tour was good, but it was a little slow and unadventurous for me. With their warning of being able to fit through a 10 inch gap, I was expecting to be challenged a bit during the tour, but that was not the case. However, the cave is exceptional and includes a formation known as box work that is a result of how the cave was made. Also, there were several other formations in the cave that were amazing, including one that looked like a crystalline porcupine. The cave tour lasted four hours despite only covering less than a mile of terrain. After the tour, I jumped in my car and headed north to the Crazy Horse Memorial. This memorial is one of kind and it’s just in its beginning stages. Like Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial is cut out of the face of a mountain. But, the size and detail going into this memorial puts Mount Rushmore to shame. When finished, the memorial will be of the head and torso of Crazy Horse as he sits upon his horse. Only the horse’s head and neck will be included. Right now, on the face of Crazy Horse is completed and they are working on the horse’s head. To give you an idea of the size of this memorial, the entire Mount Rushmore carving can fit into the head of Crazy Horse. The project began in the 1940s and is completely privately funded due to the creators’ desire to not accept federal funding because of their belief that the money should come from people who truly care for Crazy Horse and other Native Americans. While it may not ever be completed in my lifetime, I feel blessed to have seen it and added my support to the project. I hung around the memorial until nightfall as each night there is a laser light show. The light show was pretty incredible as it projected lasers onto the mountainside for over 45 minutes telling the history about Crazy Horse and Native Americans.
The next morning I packed up my camp and made my way to Custer State Park, just a few miles north of Wind Cave National Park. I then decided to hike to Harney Peak, the highest peak east of the Rockies and west of the Pyrenees in Europe. It’s hard to imagine the force the earth generated to force the earth to reach towards the heavens in the flatland dominated landscape of western South Dakota. The view from the top was a panoramic view of the Black Hills and surrounding areas. After the hike, I drove the Wildlife Loop of Custer State Park and then accessed Iron Mountain Road that leads to Mount Rushmore. Iron Mountain Road was an engineering marvel when it was built and it still amazes those that drive it. There are three tunnels that pass through the mountainside and each is situated so that as you pass through you are treated to a view of the four presidents carved into the granite. Like the Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore has a night program, albeit not close to the level of the latter. The night program consisted of a ranger talk about the construction of the mountain and a brief history as to why Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt were included in the carving. It ended with lights illuminating the massive structure.
Badlands, South Dakota
I made it to Badlands National Park in South Dakota early in the afternoon. After finding a campsite and getting the tent up, I checked out the visitor center and its short video on the area. I then ate dinner at the lodge next door before driving out to the Pinnacles viewpoint to watch the sun set over the ancient ocean that now comprises a large part of the national park. The views were impressive and reminded me of Valle de la Luna near San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.
I woke early the next morning in hopes of watching the sunrise at an area called “The Doors”. Unfortunately my phone battery died during the night and that was my alarm. Luckily my internal alarm got me up just a little after sunrise, around 5:40am. I quickly made my way to The Doors Trail where I hiked just over a half mile out on the precarious fin like protrusions that made up the surface of the mesa. It was worth my time as I was finally treated to soft sunlight illuminating a landscape filled with cliffs, ravines, valleys, and towers. I did a few more short hikes before returning to the lodge for a buffet breakfast (fantastic French toast). With belly full I returned to my campsite, packed up, and headed West through the park to explore a little more before jumping back on the highway to go to Wind Cave National Park in the southwest corner of the state.
Because of frequent picture opportunities along the way, I did not make it to Wind Cave until about 3:30 in the afternoon. After establishing a campsite I went to the Visitor Center where I signed up for the Wild Cave Tour that requires that I be willing (and able) to crawl through spaces no more than 10 inches wide. I guess its time to suck in the gut. Exhausted from driving and hiking, I relaxed the rest of the day in my campsite writing this and watching families of deer rummage through bags around my neighbors’ tents…maybe I should do something.
I woke early the next morning in hopes of watching the sunrise at an area called “The Doors”. Unfortunately my phone battery died during the night and that was my alarm. Luckily my internal alarm got me up just a little after sunrise, around 5:40am. I quickly made my way to The Doors Trail where I hiked just over a half mile out on the precarious fin like protrusions that made up the surface of the mesa. It was worth my time as I was finally treated to soft sunlight illuminating a landscape filled with cliffs, ravines, valleys, and towers. I did a few more short hikes before returning to the lodge for a buffet breakfast (fantastic French toast). With belly full I returned to my campsite, packed up, and headed West through the park to explore a little more before jumping back on the highway to go to Wind Cave National Park in the southwest corner of the state.
Because of frequent picture opportunities along the way, I did not make it to Wind Cave until about 3:30 in the afternoon. After establishing a campsite I went to the Visitor Center where I signed up for the Wild Cave Tour that requires that I be willing (and able) to crawl through spaces no more than 10 inches wide. I guess its time to suck in the gut. Exhausted from driving and hiking, I relaxed the rest of the day in my campsite writing this and watching families of deer rummage through bags around my neighbors’ tents…maybe I should do something.
Chicago
On Sunday I arrived at my friend’s new place in Chicago early in the evening. I was staying with my friend from Duke, Dave West, and his wife, Heather, in their new 2 bedroom condo that is within minutes of the lakefront as well as Wrigley. Heather’s sister and her husband (Mia and Alex) came over and we all sat on the roof top deck to have dinner and take in the site of the setting sun behind a cathedral’s spire just blocks away. Before going to bed I ran down to my car to grab my toothbrush where I found the back 2 windows on the passenger side smashed in. I could tell whoever did it had been looking through the car, but nothing seemed to be gone on first glance. Thankfully I had taken my camera and computer into Dave’s condo.
I spent the next 4 days getting to know the city I had only visited briefly before. However, before getting on to that, I scheduled an appointment for someone to come fix the windows on the car…it would be for tomorrow. On Monday, Dave took a sick day and we spent it having lunch with Heather (we picked up Potbelly subs…they’re excellent…you’ve got to try the “Wreck”) in a park and then taking a river boat architecture tour of the city. It truly is remarkable what Chicago has done. It boats some of the world tallest structures and displays designs encompassing nearly every possible style imaginable. Afterwards we briefly explored the amphitheater and “the bean” in Millennium Park.
I spent the first part of the day waiting for my car to get fixed. I then broke out the mountain bike for the first time on the trip. I headed down to the lakefront area and then headed south passing several beaches, the famous fountain (it’s in the beginning credits of Married With Children), the Navy Pier, Millennium Park, the Chicago Art Institute, and the Field Museum until I came to the aquarium. At the aquarium I found out about the Chicago City Pass that would get me into all the museums I wanted to see for a discount price. As it was nearly closing time at the aquarium I decided to return the following day and start my museum tour. That night Dave, Heather, and I went down the street from their place to Jack’s to meet a fellow San Diegan, Andrew Kaplan. We treated ourselves to several rounds of the finest (and most alcoholic) Belgian beer I have had to date.
I biked back to the aquarium, thankful that I had brought a towel in my backpack since I had sweated through my clothes. After spending a few minutes air drying, I entered my first museum in Chi town. I spent the next 3.5 hours wandering the enormous building and its thousands of fish, sharks, reptiles, and other fascinating creatures. This aquarium is like no other I have ever been to. Running low on time for another museum I managed to pull myself away from aquarium and headed to the planetarium. While not nearly the experience that the aquarium was, the planetarium was interesting and had some great hands-on exhibits…so most of them were for kids…there was no sign with age limits. Wednesday night Dave and I met Alex at a famous hot dog place where I was introduced to a “true Chicago hot dog” – mustard, neon green relish, tomatoes, onions, and two large pickles.
Thursday morning I once again biked down the lakefront. Today I found myself at the Field Museum. In addition to the normal exhibits, the museum had two additional presentations: mythic creatures and natural disasters. The mystic creatures exhibit focused on the origins of infamous creatures like unicorns, dragons, Bigfoot, and the Phoenix. The natural disasters area was fascinating and horrifying. It was broken down into 3 sections (hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornados), each displaying a video of their respective disasters. This included video from Katrina, the tsunami in Thailand, and several earthquakes in San Fran. The most remarkable part of the exhibit was the video that allowed us to see directly into a tornado. A man created a conical shaped piece of equipment that housed 5 cameras pointing in different directions that could be placed in the path of a tornado. The captured images showed a tornado approaching and then engulfing the multi-eyed camera. I also explored the museum’s regular exhibits of the dinosaurs, mammals, and birds.
I decided to finally get out of Chicago on Friday afternoon, but before doing so I got on my bike on last time in this city and returned to Millennium Park where I could take some additional pictures of “the bean”. I then made my way to the Chicago Art Institute. I spent about 2 hours there examining one of the greatest collections of paintings, sculptures, and other artifacts from throughout the world and throughout time. In order to try to beat the Friday afternoon traffic, I returned to Heather and Dave’s, gathered my gear, and headed out of town…with hopes of reaching South Dakota but really just going as far as I could on I-90 West. I made it as far as Fairmont, Minnesota before giving up and turning in for the night.
I spent the next 4 days getting to know the city I had only visited briefly before. However, before getting on to that, I scheduled an appointment for someone to come fix the windows on the car…it would be for tomorrow. On Monday, Dave took a sick day and we spent it having lunch with Heather (we picked up Potbelly subs…they’re excellent…you’ve got to try the “Wreck”) in a park and then taking a river boat architecture tour of the city. It truly is remarkable what Chicago has done. It boats some of the world tallest structures and displays designs encompassing nearly every possible style imaginable. Afterwards we briefly explored the amphitheater and “the bean” in Millennium Park.
I spent the first part of the day waiting for my car to get fixed. I then broke out the mountain bike for the first time on the trip. I headed down to the lakefront area and then headed south passing several beaches, the famous fountain (it’s in the beginning credits of Married With Children), the Navy Pier, Millennium Park, the Chicago Art Institute, and the Field Museum until I came to the aquarium. At the aquarium I found out about the Chicago City Pass that would get me into all the museums I wanted to see for a discount price. As it was nearly closing time at the aquarium I decided to return the following day and start my museum tour. That night Dave, Heather, and I went down the street from their place to Jack’s to meet a fellow San Diegan, Andrew Kaplan. We treated ourselves to several rounds of the finest (and most alcoholic) Belgian beer I have had to date.
I biked back to the aquarium, thankful that I had brought a towel in my backpack since I had sweated through my clothes. After spending a few minutes air drying, I entered my first museum in Chi town. I spent the next 3.5 hours wandering the enormous building and its thousands of fish, sharks, reptiles, and other fascinating creatures. This aquarium is like no other I have ever been to. Running low on time for another museum I managed to pull myself away from aquarium and headed to the planetarium. While not nearly the experience that the aquarium was, the planetarium was interesting and had some great hands-on exhibits…so most of them were for kids…there was no sign with age limits. Wednesday night Dave and I met Alex at a famous hot dog place where I was introduced to a “true Chicago hot dog” – mustard, neon green relish, tomatoes, onions, and two large pickles.
Thursday morning I once again biked down the lakefront. Today I found myself at the Field Museum. In addition to the normal exhibits, the museum had two additional presentations: mythic creatures and natural disasters. The mystic creatures exhibit focused on the origins of infamous creatures like unicorns, dragons, Bigfoot, and the Phoenix. The natural disasters area was fascinating and horrifying. It was broken down into 3 sections (hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornados), each displaying a video of their respective disasters. This included video from Katrina, the tsunami in Thailand, and several earthquakes in San Fran. The most remarkable part of the exhibit was the video that allowed us to see directly into a tornado. A man created a conical shaped piece of equipment that housed 5 cameras pointing in different directions that could be placed in the path of a tornado. The captured images showed a tornado approaching and then engulfing the multi-eyed camera. I also explored the museum’s regular exhibits of the dinosaurs, mammals, and birds.
I decided to finally get out of Chicago on Friday afternoon, but before doing so I got on my bike on last time in this city and returned to Millennium Park where I could take some additional pictures of “the bean”. I then made my way to the Chicago Art Institute. I spent about 2 hours there examining one of the greatest collections of paintings, sculptures, and other artifacts from throughout the world and throughout time. In order to try to beat the Friday afternoon traffic, I returned to Heather and Dave’s, gathered my gear, and headed out of town…with hopes of reaching South Dakota but really just going as far as I could on I-90 West. I made it as far as Fairmont, Minnesota before giving up and turning in for the night.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
On the road again
I returned to San Diego from my travels in South America with a strong feeling of unrest. I decided to discontinue my employment at Digital Orchid, but did not have a definitive plan for myself, only knowing that I was not ready to hang up my traveling shoes. After a little deliberation I decided to pack up and head out on a little road trip across parts of the US that I have not seen or spent much time at. And, it works out fairly well as I have a family reunion in Missouri (July 10-13) and my little brother's wedding outside Seattle (August 9).
I left July 5th for Los Angeles. I spent one night there before jumping in my car and making my way to the south west corner of Utah and Zion National Park. Zion was incredible. It reminded me of the quebrada near Salta, Argentina. Zion is filled with towering sandstone cliffs that rise up to over 10,000 feet above sea level. I spent my time in Zion doing several hikes throughout the park, visiting Angels Landing, the Emerald Pools, Riverside Walk, and the Canyon Overlook. I only spent one night in Zion as I was a bit pressed to make it to Missouri in time for a family reunion.
I left Zion mid-morning on July 7th and started heading east towards Arches National Park on the other side of Utah. I made a slow drive of it, passing through several national parks along the way to take pictures and enjoy the unimaginable beauty that this amazing planet has supplied. I drove through Bryce Canyon and Capital Reef National Parks before arriving in Moab, Utah. My late start and constant stops along the way prevented me from arriving at Arches in time to get a camping spot, so I stayed the night in a tiny motel in Moab. I woke early on July 8th and was able to secure camp site #6 inside Arches. After setting up my tent, I headed out to explore the park and the natural wonders that gave this place its name. I spent the majority of the day visiting the natural landmarks of Broken Arch, Fiery Furnace, Sand Dune Arch, and the area known as The Windows. In the afternoon I decided to hike to Delicate Arch to watch the sunset. I, along with about 50 other adventurers, were treated to a remarkable sunset over the red sandstone rocks and expansive valleys surrounding the area.
I woke early on July 9th to hike through Devil's Garden and watch the sun rise over two incredible natural arches: Landscape and Double-O. It was an incredible experience watching the world wake up like this, with the sun throwing its rays across the sky to light up these natural bridges. I spent several hours in this area, enjoying the sight of the canvas of rocks, cliffs, and valleys coming to life with vibrant colors. Upon exiting the Devil's Garden I made my way to Balanced Rock, a 3500 ton rock sitting on a thin tower of sandstone. I had to be in Missouri the next day, so I decided to begin making my way back out the park to start the long drive east. Before leaving the park, though, I stopped at the Petrified Dunes, the Courthouse Towers, Sheep Rock, and Park Avenue for a few more pictures and a last look at the natural beauty sweeping across the landscape.
I then left the park and jumped on I-70 East towards Colorado. My initial plans included stops in Colorado to see several friends, but with time running short, I pressed on passed Colorado and into the barren landscape of Kansas. After driving 12+ hours, I finally called in quits in Salina, Kansas, where I stayed for the night.
I left July 5th for Los Angeles. I spent one night there before jumping in my car and making my way to the south west corner of Utah and Zion National Park. Zion was incredible. It reminded me of the quebrada near Salta, Argentina. Zion is filled with towering sandstone cliffs that rise up to over 10,000 feet above sea level. I spent my time in Zion doing several hikes throughout the park, visiting Angels Landing, the Emerald Pools, Riverside Walk, and the Canyon Overlook. I only spent one night in Zion as I was a bit pressed to make it to Missouri in time for a family reunion.
I left Zion mid-morning on July 7th and started heading east towards Arches National Park on the other side of Utah. I made a slow drive of it, passing through several national parks along the way to take pictures and enjoy the unimaginable beauty that this amazing planet has supplied. I drove through Bryce Canyon and Capital Reef National Parks before arriving in Moab, Utah. My late start and constant stops along the way prevented me from arriving at Arches in time to get a camping spot, so I stayed the night in a tiny motel in Moab. I woke early on July 8th and was able to secure camp site #6 inside Arches. After setting up my tent, I headed out to explore the park and the natural wonders that gave this place its name. I spent the majority of the day visiting the natural landmarks of Broken Arch, Fiery Furnace, Sand Dune Arch, and the area known as The Windows. In the afternoon I decided to hike to Delicate Arch to watch the sunset. I, along with about 50 other adventurers, were treated to a remarkable sunset over the red sandstone rocks and expansive valleys surrounding the area.
I woke early on July 9th to hike through Devil's Garden and watch the sun rise over two incredible natural arches: Landscape and Double-O. It was an incredible experience watching the world wake up like this, with the sun throwing its rays across the sky to light up these natural bridges. I spent several hours in this area, enjoying the sight of the canvas of rocks, cliffs, and valleys coming to life with vibrant colors. Upon exiting the Devil's Garden I made my way to Balanced Rock, a 3500 ton rock sitting on a thin tower of sandstone. I had to be in Missouri the next day, so I decided to begin making my way back out the park to start the long drive east. Before leaving the park, though, I stopped at the Petrified Dunes, the Courthouse Towers, Sheep Rock, and Park Avenue for a few more pictures and a last look at the natural beauty sweeping across the landscape.
I then left the park and jumped on I-70 East towards Colorado. My initial plans included stops in Colorado to see several friends, but with time running short, I pressed on passed Colorado and into the barren landscape of Kansas. After driving 12+ hours, I finally called in quits in Salina, Kansas, where I stayed for the night.
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