Arches National Park 2013, Part I

Following our longer-than-expected visit to Colorado National Monument it was on to Moab. The skies continued to clear over the two-hour drive, and after checking into our hotel there was plenty of daylight left to make a quick foray into Arches worthwhile.

First stop: Park Avenue, where the setting sun already had the formations on the western side deep in shade.

The eastern side, however, was warmly lit.

Same spot as the previous shot, but switching from landscape orientation to portrait gives an entirely different feel.  One of these days I'll have to actually hike the short trail through.

The La Sal Mountains Viewpoint was next.  But instead of looking at the mountains to the east I was transfixed by the view to the north.  From left to right you have The Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, The Organ and a formation whose name eluded my extensive online research.

As the sun continued to fall, it provided opportunities that were only available for a fleeting moment.

"Colorado National Monument has a formation called Balanced Rock?" asked Arches.  "That's cute."

More clouds were rolling in again.  But there was a small gap between them and the horizon I hoped I could exploit before sunset.  Taryn and I retraced the route we'd taken a couple of years earlier through North Window, and got the light I was hoping for looking back to Turret Arch.

Turning east from the same spot didn't exactly yield a bad view, either.

The last vestiges of daylight gave us on more bit of beauty, then it was back to Moab for a late dinner.  Not bad for a trip into the park we weren't even sure we'd make!

Click here for Part II.