“National Take A Hike Day” weekend

Apparently, this past Saturday was a day to celebrate hiking.

I imagine this is how bike commuters feel on “Bike to work day”! 🙂

Meaning, a Saturday set aside for hiking? Well, that’s pretty normal weekend activity for us.

But we almost did not get out and about.  A planned backpacking trip did not seem wise for various reasons.

Luckily, we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. And getting in a quick hike for sunset did not disappoint.  Only three miles away.  But no slouch in the view-to-effort ratio department!

 

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Thanks to @katabaticgear ,  I learned today is “National Take a Hike Day.” @Ramblinghemlock and I try to make every weekend a “Yet Another Outdoor Weekend” ! 🙂 But a lingering cold, getting ready for a trip next week, another real world “stuff” made it not a good idea to sleep outside at the bottom of a canyon.  But we still wanted to get out! So we went to our “go to” hiking place only a three-mile drive from our humble home. A place perfect for after work hikes, stretching the legs, or just needing to get out for a quick bit. We were only out for an hour or so. But what a rewarding hour. Barrier-era pictographs, Pueblo Rock Images, and more recent glyphs (only 100 years old!) showing that tourist traffic to Moab is a decades-old affair. But then we saw the sunset from a high point that is reached by a short, but moderately steep hike.  We could see the Spanish Valley and Moab below. And the ever-present La Sal Mountains towering over the red rock. I can’t believe I get to call this place home. A short hike on “National Take A Hike Day”. But…wow! What a great one. …. #moab #utah  #lasalmountains #lasals #sunset #coloradoplateau #canyons #rockart #pictrographs #petroglyphs #ancientpuebloan #spanishvalley  #nationaltakeahikeday

A post shared by Paul Mags (@pmagsco) on Nov 17, 2018 at 7:13pm PST

On Sunday we took a more extensive hike. Exploring an obscure corner of Arches National Park perhaps an hour from our home.

We only saw a few footprints. But not other people. Not even a car the BLM road we drove in on to the trailhead.

Even though we could see I70 in the distance, the place felt wild and remote. And we had it all to ourselves.

Red rocks and fins. Blue sky above. And the sun warming the rock for a leisurely lunch break.

 

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Joan and I love looking for arches. Not because we want to check off the 2000+ arches found in Arches National Park. In fact, we typically do not find the arches we set out to look for at all! The arches provided a framework to explore the park. By going to where the location of an arch is indicated on our maps or the LAT/LONG waypoints we make, we typically go and explore nooks and crannies well away from the main areas of the park. We often start in adjacent BLM land at a trailhead reached up a road that is fine for our stock 4WD vehicle. But perhaps not for our Honda! 🙂 And then we hike, meander, scramble, have lunch on the warm sun, and think how we get to call one of the most beautiful places in the world our home. And once in a while? We just might find an arch! …. #moab #utah #coloradoplateau #canyons #archesnationalpark #nps #findyourpark #publiclands #nationalparks #arches

A post shared by Paul Mags (@pmagsco) on Nov 18, 2018 at 10:00pm PST

We are taking off for a few days on Wednesday. We’ll see another part of the Colorado Plateau.

A favorite place that should be much less busy than when I attempted to go this past Spring.   It is time to return!