Arches National Park & Dead Horse Point Moab, Utah

There are a ton of adjectives to describe this unique park but none would adequately describe its beauty. These arches were formed because the park is on top of an underground salt bed. I don’t want to get too technical on the process, but the rock is layered above the salt and when weather erodes the salt you are left with arches of rock. Fun fact – July 2019, this park received its certification as an international dark sky park. There are only 70 of them in the world. This means it has the best quality of starry nights. Since a third of the population resides in areas of extreme artificial light the milky way is never seen.

There was a woman who was performing a ritual underneath one of the arches. She eloquently played her flute. She then clasped her hands and bowed her head. From her flask poured water onto the rock. The tune was so soothing, peaceful, and ethereal. As I looked up at the arch, I felt like I was in a cathedral and should say a prayer. I said a prayer of gratitude.

The most popular arch is the Delicate Arch. Viewing this arch as the sun sets is recommended. The hike up is pretty strenuous but it paid off at the end. Most visitors were setting up their camera equipment trying to capture the prize-winning view. With all the negative press surrounding COVID, I was extremely impressed with the people. Everyone wanted to get a picture of themselves under the arch. There was no crowding or chaos. People waited in line patiently, six feet apart, until it was their turn to stand beneath the arch. We choose to just take the picture in its natural beauty.

The next day we went to Dead Horse Point State Park. This canyon is similar to the Grand Canyon. In my opinion, I thought it was better. While the Grand Canyon is widespread, this has the added dimension of color. The Colorado River is more easily seen here than in the Grand Canyon which gives it a nice contrast to the canyon.

The bike ride shown in the video was all uphill. I pooped out and let Mitch ride the rest of it himself. The elevation is a killer.