WRAPPING UP OUR STAY IN MOAB, UTAH

Wow, our stay in Moab went by quickly!  Tomorrow we are taking Scoopy to a tire shop to have a sloooooowwww leak repaired.  Once we return to our site at OK RV Park (click here to read our review) and settle in again, we’ll head out for one last hike, followed by dinner out.  On Friday, we’re off, heading west.

Though the town of Moab itself doesn’t knock my socks off, I would be happy to spend a month here (in the right time of year) – there is that much to do.  We’ve hiked every day – except for the two when Odel played golf – enjoying the amazing variety of rock formations in all directions from Moab.  We’ve seen people doing all sorts of adventurous activities, in places we would never go! 

The day we hiked to Corona Arch, we stopped along the Colorado River on our way home, in an area called “Wall Street”.   Half a dozen groups of climbers were engaged in their sport along this stretch of rock cliffs, and we spent at least half an hour watching this woman (photo, above – click to enlarge) climb the rock face.  We were close enough to hear her labored breathing as she slowly inched her way up the rock – it looked and sounded exhausting. 

More than one reader asked about the photo of the ladder I posted on my last blog – me climbing a ladder on our hike to Corona Arch.  Usually, camera shots show trails as less steep than they actually are, but in the case of that photo, the terrain looked far steeper than it really is.  The ladder is only about 6 or 7 feet long, just enough to climb from one reasonably flat rock slab to another.  Looked wild though, didn’t it?  :) 

Here’s a photo of Odel on that same ladder in a shot that gives a more accurate perspective.  Still, for us, anything involving safety cables and ladders stretches our flexibility a bit more than usual!  My knees were talkin’ to me, and they didn’t sound happy.

Since we have visited Arches National Park in the past, I intentionally left my camera at home the day we hiked to Delicate Arch (the iconic image that often represents both the park and the state of Utah).  We also drove the short distance to North and South Windows, past Balanced Rock.  (You don’t need to be a hiker to enjoy Arches N.P. – most of the famous formations can be seen alongside the road, from view points, or at the end of a very short walk.)

If I’d had my camera, I would have taken another several dozen photos, different views (or, more likely, the exact same view!) of the timeless arches and vistas I have already photographed.  So, no photos today from the park, but I do have a couple to share from our hike yesterday, along SR-128 at Fisher Towers, 22 miles from Moab.

“The Titan” at Fisher Towers.  We hiked around the right side, along the base of the formation.	Another ladder!  I wish they would offer a few more handholds at the top – it’s a scramble.

Once again, we saw rock climbers apparently having a ball climbing some of these fantastic formations.  We stuck to the trail, with its little ladder, and felt we’d done pretty well.

The list of what we didn’t see is longer than the list of what we did… another place we will need to revisit.  Darn!  :)