Western USA Oct 2024 - Arches and Other Delights...
Day 7
Breakfast by headlamp, back to Arches National Park. On the road, I see the first light of the day appearing, with a huge cloudy/foggy area in the distance. Those who waited for the sunrise at Mesa Arch aren’t gonna have a great time. I arrive at the park entrance, both lines are 500m long, and it’s not even 7 AM yet. You should know that from 7 AM to 4 PM, you need a "time entry" pass per car. You can reserve it either months in advance online or the day before—they release a few spots. On top of that, you have to pay the entrance fee or have an Annual Pass (which lets you into all National Parks and State Parks for a year). And they’re already checking entries! It’s crazy how many people are here…
Headed up to Fiery Furnace, I take a few photos from a viewpoint slightly below the parking lot at sunrise. I notice it smells "weird." At the same time, Thierry messages me: there’s a huge wildfire at Yellow Lake, 300 km north of here, and that’s what it is! The smoke travels for kilometers with the little wind there is. All day, I have this blue haze in front of all the landscapes—you can’t even see the tops of the La Sal Mountains anymore… Sometimes it smells, sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, like when it’s really windy, any landscape photos with a long distance are a no-go! For the arches, it’s okay—it’s not too bothersome.
Before starting the Fiery Furnace loop, I look for "E Arch," the closest one to the trail on my GPS, but I can’t find it… ugh…
Then I start the loop. There are (theoretically) 8 cm arrows stuck at the spots where you need to turn… lol… I think with 10 arrows, they covered the whole 5 km loop! Everyone I crossed paths with had their eyes glued to their phones. And sure enough, without the trail, I totally get why so many people get lost. You have to backtrack regularly. The rangers said every week people get lost…
Personally, I have the trail on my GPS, but I spend a ton of time finding the arches I want to see—some of which I don’t find at all, even when I’m 20m away. They’re probably too high up, so you’d need climbing gear or a higher vantage point… It’s a gorgeous hike, with a bit of scrambling, passages between the walls, etc.—super fun. Under Surprise Arch (also called Skyline Arch), I ask an Israeli couple for help crossing to the other side of the slope (too risky alone), thinking there’s another arch further on. But dead end…
Back at the parking lot. Let’s talk about the parking lot… it can fit +/- 20 cars, but they give out 75 permits a day, plus the people going to the viewpoint… You’d have to kill someone to get a spot unless you arrive super early. Finally, in terms of light, like on all "loops," for some arches it was the right time, for others, you’d want to come back in the afternoon.
I was parked right in front of the trailhead. While I was shaking sand out of my shoes and hydrating, I told at least 15 people to go right, not straight. The signage is set up for the loop to be done counterclockwise, but they didn’t put a first arrow!!! And the right turn is super discreet. So 80% of people go straight on the trail clockwise… lol… The rangers are too much… What really annoys me, though, is their hatred for cairns… In the mountains, they save lives when there’s fog. Sure, we’re not in the mountains. But here, they pave everything, the toilets stink from 500m away in the parking lots, yet they stick arrows on rocks or put up posts! But no, cairns are bad!!! Cairns are evil!!!
To save some energy for tomorrow, I decide not to do a big hike this afternoon, also because of the heat. On the way down to Moab, I stop for a bit of "arch hunting" near a parking lot. No luck. One arch is really ugly (I don’t even take a photo), and I can’t find the other one even though I spent a lot of time looking—the terrain is tricky. I knew in advance they weren’t amazing arches, but hey, when you’re nearby… The sun is beating down, but it’s only 26°C.
Drive to Junghandle Arch, a big arch perched on the cliff by the Colorado River. I spot another arch from afar, less impressive, on the edge of another massif. Since the drone is already out and it’s only 200m away…
Back in Moab, I stop for "fettuccine ragù bolognese" at Antica Forma—sauce is a bit greasy, but the flavor and meat are really good. Before, I always went to Pasta Jay’s, but last year (or was it 2022?) I was really disappointed, both by the service and the quality of what I got.
Buy more drinks (again), refill my empty gallon water jugs for free at Gearheads, then head to Monticello. Closer and cheaper for tomorrow’s start in Canyonlands.
Empty the whole car to pack and prepare my backpacking bag for tomorrow. I remove everything that’s not absolutely essential (just one camera lens, no tripod…) to make room for more water. I think I’ll have at least 8L with me, maybe more. In reality, I’ll leave with 9L. It’s 7 PM, the temperature has already dropped a lot—it must be barely 15°C, and we’re almost at 2200m altitude. Grab a sandwich for tomorrow at Subway. Motel.
Current total: 41 new arches photographed
Headed up to Fiery Furnace, I take a few photos from a viewpoint slightly below the parking lot at sunrise. I notice it smells "weird." At the same time, Thierry messages me: there’s a huge wildfire at Yellow Lake, 300 km north of here, and that’s what it is! The smoke travels for kilometers with the little wind there is. All day, I have this blue haze in front of all the landscapes—you can’t even see the tops of the La Sal Mountains anymore… Sometimes it smells, sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, like when it’s really windy, any landscape photos with a long distance are a no-go! For the arches, it’s okay—it’s not too bothersome.
Before starting the Fiery Furnace loop, I look for "E Arch," the closest one to the trail on my GPS, but I can’t find it… ugh…
Then I start the loop. There are (theoretically) 8 cm arrows stuck at the spots where you need to turn… lol… I think with 10 arrows, they covered the whole 5 km loop! Everyone I crossed paths with had their eyes glued to their phones. And sure enough, without the trail, I totally get why so many people get lost. You have to backtrack regularly. The rangers said every week people get lost…
Personally, I have the trail on my GPS, but I spend a ton of time finding the arches I want to see—some of which I don’t find at all, even when I’m 20m away. They’re probably too high up, so you’d need climbing gear or a higher vantage point… It’s a gorgeous hike, with a bit of scrambling, passages between the walls, etc.—super fun. Under Surprise Arch (also called Skyline Arch), I ask an Israeli couple for help crossing to the other side of the slope (too risky alone), thinking there’s another arch further on. But dead end…
Back at the parking lot. Let’s talk about the parking lot… it can fit +/- 20 cars, but they give out 75 permits a day, plus the people going to the viewpoint… You’d have to kill someone to get a spot unless you arrive super early. Finally, in terms of light, like on all "loops," for some arches it was the right time, for others, you’d want to come back in the afternoon.
I was parked right in front of the trailhead. While I was shaking sand out of my shoes and hydrating, I told at least 15 people to go right, not straight. The signage is set up for the loop to be done counterclockwise, but they didn’t put a first arrow!!! And the right turn is super discreet. So 80% of people go straight on the trail clockwise… lol… The rangers are too much… What really annoys me, though, is their hatred for cairns… In the mountains, they save lives when there’s fog. Sure, we’re not in the mountains. But here, they pave everything, the toilets stink from 500m away in the parking lots, yet they stick arrows on rocks or put up posts! But no, cairns are bad!!! Cairns are evil!!!
To save some energy for tomorrow, I decide not to do a big hike this afternoon, also because of the heat. On the way down to Moab, I stop for a bit of "arch hunting" near a parking lot. No luck. One arch is really ugly (I don’t even take a photo), and I can’t find the other one even though I spent a lot of time looking—the terrain is tricky. I knew in advance they weren’t amazing arches, but hey, when you’re nearby… The sun is beating down, but it’s only 26°C.
Drive to Junghandle Arch, a big arch perched on the cliff by the Colorado River. I spot another arch from afar, less impressive, on the edge of another massif. Since the drone is already out and it’s only 200m away…
Back in Moab, I stop for "fettuccine ragù bolognese" at Antica Forma—sauce is a bit greasy, but the flavor and meat are really good. Before, I always went to Pasta Jay’s, but last year (or was it 2022?) I was really disappointed, both by the service and the quality of what I got.
Buy more drinks (again), refill my empty gallon water jugs for free at Gearheads, then head to Monticello. Closer and cheaper for tomorrow’s start in Canyonlands.
Empty the whole car to pack and prepare my backpacking bag for tomorrow. I remove everything that’s not absolutely essential (just one camera lens, no tripod…) to make room for more water. I think I’ll have at least 8L with me, maybe more. In reality, I’ll leave with 9L. It’s 7 PM, the temperature has already dropped a lot—it must be barely 15°C, and we’re almost at 2200m altitude. Grab a sandwich for tomorrow at Subway. Motel.
Current total: 41 new arches photographed
