We couldn't leave Utah without a visit to Arches National Park. So, we set out on Wednesday for the 2 hour drive from Grand Junction, CO ....back into Utah...to experience this amazing collection of national treasures.
The awesome sandstone structures throughout the park were formed millions of years ago. This part of the Colorado plateau was located over huge salt flats, and through the ages....wind and water did their work to form these amazing sandstone formations. The structures are still evolving as wind and water continue to erode and shape these rocky structures.
The arches form as a result of erosion, and then weakening of the sandstone to the degree that rocky chunks begin to fall out from under the upper structures. There is one arch called 'Landscape Arch' with an expanse of 365 feet! My pics of that arch were too dark to post....Dick's pics are awesome! I may get to post some of those at a later time.
The other amazing shapes are huge vertical fins and spires. They take so many different forms that it is easy to find yourself extending your 'look alike' imagination. This grouping sort of looked like a family gathering to me :-)
In the late 1800's, the Wolfe family settled in this rugged, unforgiving area. It is hard to imagine the ability to survive in such a harsh desert environment.
This is the family's one-room humble abode....complete with a table and 2 chairs inside. There was a smaller structure just to the right in this picture - probably where they stored whatever food, water and other essentials they were able to accumulate. It is so incredible that families would actually relocate to set up a homestead in these conditions!
We did some hiking in an area called The Devil's Garden which really allowed for us to get up 'close and personal' to some of these amazing structures. You can see the scope of some of the towers if you check out Dick leaning against one of structures at the entrance of the trailhead.
Throughout this park and the others we have visited, the trees that seem to flourish in this harsh environment are Junipers. This one is an example of how they grow, shape and deteriorate over time.
So yesterday (Thursday), we decided to make the trek to Buena Vista, CO from Grand Junction one day early due to a prediction of stormy high winds on Friday. Managing our rig under-way is a handful in the best of conditions. Dick thought it best not to test our luck climbing into the Rockies in high winds. Good thing; the climb into 11,000 ft elevations was challenging enough w/o adding 45 mph winds to the adventure!
Our travels to Buena Vista followed I-70 East along the Colorado River. We frequently saw those famous Colorado River rapids, and were even lucky enough to capture a pic of one of the many rafting groups along the way.
It was not too long before we started seeing those snow covered mountains as we started to get into Aspen and Vail country.
Next thing we knew....we were in the snow with flakes hitting our windshield.
So, from desert temps to mountain temps, we knew it was going to be time to trade the shorts for jeans and sweatshirts.
This last photo for yesterday was taken in Leadville....a historic mining town that sprung up during the gold rush and mineral mining boom. Check out the name of this hotel.....restored to its Victorian grandeur....
The DELAWARE Hotel. For those of you who know my home for 35 years was in Delaware....this was an interesting sight for me! It was pretty cool inside, too.....lots of 19th Century memorabilia.
We finally checked into Arrowhead Point Campground and RV Park yesterday about 3:30PM (MDT) and will be here through the holiday weekend. We have gorgeous views of the Rockies...and are actually at about 9,000 feet elevation at this base location.
Today, we are headed for Royal Gorge in Canon City...about 85 miles south of here. Stay tuned for more pics....
All your pictures are great. It is fun for us to travel vicariously through y'all.
ReplyDelete