USA 2019: The Arches National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park

Up early to beat the crowds at the entry to The Arches National Park. As the name suggests, Arches is famous for arches. Here are a few of the arches we saw. It really doesn't matter what they are called as the names are all fanciful and require imagination well beyond me to match name to reality. I'm happy to go with Arch #1, Arch #2 and so on.

How did we rate Arches? Different from the other National Parks we visited but, to be honest, I think it doesn't fare well with a comparison with Bryce, Zion and Canyonlands. It's big, with very impresssive views but not at the top of my list. But Arches isn't all about Arches. There were other things of interest to see.

The more we read about the early settlers and the trials and tribulations they faced, the more they go up in our estimation. Condtions were tough. This is the log cabin the Wolfe family lived in for many years on a small, relatively fertile patch, in the middle of Arches. Just one room and, probably, about twice the size of my 10 x 8 foot greenhouse. I like to think I can imagine what it must have been like but, if I'm honest, I can't. I do think, however, that this sort of life, hard though it was, was infinitely better than that of the British working class in the industrial towns of the UK at the time.

Here's an intersting thing - well, to me, at least. At several places, there were women doing yoga poses. And having their photographs taken by very embarassed looking partners.

Yet another dead tree. But a dead tree with a view.

This is Balanced Rock, so named because it's a rock that's balanced. The strata at the narrow point are much softer than those at the top and bottom and will erode much faster. It is, so to speak, an accident witing to happen. It is being continually monitored with a stress-gauge so folks will know when it's likely to collapse. It is sobering to consider that, as all the features in parks such as these, are gradually eroding, what we've seen is unique and tomorrow's visitors will see something slightly different. In fact, this photograph is no longer accurate.

We finished the day by visiting the Dead Horse Point State Park, which is 'twixt Arches and Canyonlands. It's been described as having the same views as Canyonlands without the crowds - and it's slightly cheaper. It may be a strange way of putting it, but it served as an antidote to Arches. It really was a delightful place to visit for its views, nature trail and visitor centre. Well worth a visit. The name has a rather gruesome origin. The point itself is 'joined' to the main part of the rim by a relatively narrow neck. Back in the days of cowboys, the point was used as a corral for wild horses, dead wood being used as a barricade to keep them there. Local legend has it that, on one occasion, the cowboys selected the horses they wanted from the corral, and then went away leaving the rest of them penned in - without food and water. The inevitable happened and the name reflects what happened.

As for its near neighbour, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point affords you views of the canyons cut by the Colorado and Green Rivers. The La Sal Mountains are in the distance. The blue streaks in the mid-ground are actually a 'solar evaporation facility' whereby salt solution is pumped out of the ground and then left to evaporate in the large ponds to allow the recovery of potash, which is skimmed off for use as fertiliser. I,m not sure why a blue dye is added. Back in Cornwall, a similar process has been used for many years in the china clay industry. There they are called 'drys'.

Looking down on the meander of the Colorado River. We'll be picking that up when we visit the Grand Canyon in a few days.

Another view. What scenery. And it was so peaceful looking down.

Claretcup Cactus. Such a bright colour.

In the Visitors' Centre there was an exhibition of ceramics by a local artist. This is a detail taken from a collection called the Chill Burghers of Calais, which struck me as an odd theme to come across in Utah.

A ceramic clown that took my fancy. If I could afford it, I might have been tempted to buy it. But I couldn't and didn't.

And finally, a rather shaky video of the view from Dead Horse Point. This gives a much better idea of the enormity of the landscape.