It’s tough to convey in words the beauty and grandeur of Arches National Park in Utah. We arrived at the park fairly early in the morning. Today’s agenda: hike/view Windows, hike/view Delicate Arch, hike/view Landscape Arch. In the end we wouldn’t be able to squeeze it all in to just one day. We have been extremely lucky with the weather on this trip until today when the wet weather really put a damper on our plans. By lunch time we had managed to hike Turret and both Windows as well as Double Arch. Despite the slippery sandstone, we all had fun scrambling along the rocks and climbing into nearby caves. The rain began to really kick in so we left the windows section in search of gas, food and information about rafting on the Colorado. When we returned to Arches we hiked to view Delicate Arch where Abby left one of her braids. An important aspect of Arches is the cryptobionic soil crust which supports the healthy growth of the desert plants which are abundant throughout the park. The crust contains lichen, moss, bacteria and algae, and if damaged, the crust may take up to 250 years to fully recover. Even a single foot print can damage the crust. Informational about the biological soil crust is posted at each trail head to remind hikers to stay on the trails (but hikers are invited to walk on the rocks as much as they like, which makes Arches a really fun place for the kids). As the hours passed, the rain fell heavier still, so we returned to our little cabins at Archview for dinner and a cold drink. The plan for tomorrow – raft the Colorado. P.S. That lichen photo is just for you Paul.
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