Saturday, February 21, 2015
This weekend Diane and I went on another day trip to Arches National Park so we could hike the Devils Garden Primitive Loop. It has been a number of years since I last hiked the loop so I was looking forward to getting back, and this would be Diane’s first time hiking beyond Landscape Arch. We left bright and early on Saturday morning and made it to the Devils Garden trailhead shortly after the sun had come up. Good thing we weren’t planning on photographing the sunrise this morning since it was still pretty overcast when we started the hike.
As we neared Landscape Arch we started seeing a few openings in the clouds.
Clearing Clouds by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
A quick photo of Landscape Arch as we passed by to continue on the loop.
Landscape Arch by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
We stopped to take in the view from Partition Arch.
Partition Arch by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Then made another nearby stop at Navajo Arch.
Navajo Arch by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
The sky continued to clear out as we made our way across the narrow fin at the head of Fin Canyon.
Finland by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Finally we got a little sunlight through the clouds onto the fins around us.
Light Up the Fins by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Things were looking pretty good when we reached Double O Arch.
Double O Arch by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Sunlight on the fins, storm over the Book Cliffs in the distance.
Book Cliffs View by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
We stopped to visit a few petroglyphs but the light was terrible at this time so I didn’t take many photos. If you would like to see better photos of these petroglyphs, check out my trip report from March of 2011.
Anthropomorph by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Holding Hands by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Horns by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
We found a few joints in the sandstone to explore.
Exploring Joints by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Before returning to the loop trail we stopped by Dark Angel.
Dark Angel by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Diane along the trail shortly after leaving Double O Arch for the second time.
On the Trail by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Surprisingly, I had never taken the time to visit Private Arch before, so I made sure to rectify that today.
Private Arch by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Leaving Private Arch.
Leaving Private Arch by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Great scenery along the rest of the trail as you hike among the fins.
In the Fins by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Fin Canyon by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Fin & Clouds by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
After a stop at Pasta Jay’s for lunch in Moab we drove back home along the Colorado River. It was a nice way to spend the morning.
Colorado River by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Abby and I made this hike the day after we got married in 2004. The wind was wild in the morning, forcing her to duck into a pothole and wait it out and one point. A buddy and I did it again in 2011. It’s a great hike. Glad you had fun.