The Great SouthWest Road Trip

It is morning, but not morning. Outside in the dark, the full moon sets over a monument on the outskirts of town. It falls just below the top cliff, creating a soft white glow above it. The hours before daylight are cool and still as we drive north to Arches National Park.

The road is long from the entrance to the end, where we will walk the Devils Garden. The moon, still with us, is now a deep orange-yellow, like a pumpkin. Small, brown rabbits dart across the road. Their round eyes glare brightly in the headlights. They are everywhere! Remembering the heat and barren rocks of this park from yesterday afternoon, it is hard to believe that so much life could be here.

False dawn arrives as we come to the end of the line, the Devils Garden Trailhead. We start our walk just as we can see the path ahead of us. It would be nice to have more light, but the largest arch, Landscape Arch, is about a mile away, and we want to see it at sunrise. The rabbits are jumping and running all over the place! We try to take pictures of them, but because the light is so low, the shots don’t come out very well.

Yesterday I was disappointed with the park when we found out we would have to walk quite a ways to see the big arches. It was hot and bright, and as the day heats up, the wind rises also. But timing our visit for the morning makes all the difference. The walking is quite pleasant with many interesting tree and rock formations.

We arrive at Landscape Arch before the sun comes up. There is a little side trail that gets closer to it, so we go on that to take more pictures. Just as we are about to leave, the dawn breaks over the arch, lighting it up like gold! The rocks turn rich and vibrant, and as we walk along to other arches, this gold lights them up inside. The landscape comes alive with deep shadows and colors against a clear blue sky.

For about an hour, we are alone in the park. It’s great for taking pictures! Then one guy shows up and wanders off ahead of us. Later on we meet another man with a large tripod and camera. We come to a split in the trail near Double O Arch. Here we can circle around and go back a different way, but we decide not to. The circle trail is longer, and we have already walked at least three miles one way.

About half way back, we finally see more people coming along toward us. The sun is high, it is getting quite warm, the wind is starting to pick up, and everyone is just hitting the trails! I am glad we came so early. It was a very peaceful, relaxing and beautiful way to see this park.

We end our trek by going out to brunch at a wonderful little café in Moab called Eklectica. Wide-roofed porches with outdoor seating and gardens surround the shop. A giant blue mosaic encrusted coffee cup makes for great advertising in the front garden next to the road. It’s a great place for rest and refreshments after our long hike!