The following morning we made a detour to Goblin Valley State Park (elevation 5,200 feet) on the way to Moab based on a recommendation from our car rental agent. The valley, which is only about a mile across and two miles long, is formed by a seasonal wash (Red Canyon) and contains thousands of mushroom-shaped pinnacles or hoodoos a few feet high that someone obviously thought resembled goblins. The formations have large orange-brown boulders of hard rock atop weaker sandy layers which have eroded more quickly, as a result of millions of years (who’s counting?) of the combined effects of wind and rain. Maybe Theresa and I had overdosed on magnificent scenery but we quickly left the park seven dollars out of pocket and were quite unimpressed by what we saw. I can understand the appeal for families with small children and perhaps we will return one day with a horde of grandchildren. Who Knows?
The city of Moab was the last destination on our trip where we would spend two nights. It’s in close proximity to the Arches (elevation varies between 4000 and 5600 feet) and Canyonlands (elevation 5,800 feet,) National Parks and afforded us the opportunity to explore the Colorado River which was also nearby. It was a beautiful evening and we drove along the river for 14 miles into Castle Valley to the Red Cliffs Lodge where we enjoyed dinner on the patio overlooking the river and admired another gorgeous sunset.
We were up early the next morning to have a head start on the rest of humanity; well those who were planning to follow us into Arches. More than 2,000 sandstone arches have been catalogued in the park. Born of seeping salt, the formation of the arches began 300 million years ago. Arches are often created from narrow sandstone walls called “fins” which have been isolated as a result of cracks in the earth and subsequent erosion. Water seeps into cracks in these fins, then freezes and expands causing chunks of rock to fall off. Gravity and erosion help complete the formation of an arch The smallest measure three feet from base to base, and the largest, Landscape Arch, is 306 feet wide. Delicate Arch is probably the best known feature in the park. Teetering on the edge of a slick-rock bowl, it is 46 feet high with a width of nearly 35 feet, enjoying stunning views of canyons, the Colorado River canyon and La Sal Mountains.
We grabbed a quick lunch lounging back in the mustang trying to take in all that nature had to offer, but it was quite overwhelming in the nicest sense. The day was heating up but we elected to proceed to the last of our objectives: Canyonlands. This is the Utah’s second largest national park. The centerpieces of the park are the two great canyons carved through flat layers of sedimentary rock by the Colorado and Green rivers. Most of the park is inaccessible by highway and one would have to rent a jeep to appreciate the park’s scale and remoteness.
One of the most photographed features in Southern Utah is the Mesa Arch in Canyonlands. Thankfully, the trail to the Arch is one of the easiest in the park-about a half mile total and has only 100 feet elevation gain. Mesa Arch spans 90 feet and stands at the edge of a mesa precipice thousands of feet above the Colorado River Gorge. La Sal Mountains can be viewed through the arch almost 35 miles away. We had come to the end of our journey.
In a way the trip confirmed the insignificance of man compared to nature. The scale and beauty of the mountain scenery we witnessed was truly breathtaking. It’s difficult to comprehend that the rock formations we witnessed had formed over millions of years, and man is lucky if he is allowed to stick around for his three score and ten. Our 8 day trip merely scratched the surface of what the region has to offer, and we would love to return one day. We really need to do the Angels Landing trail in Zion which is reputedly one of the most famous and thrilling hikes in the national park system. I would also like to visit Cedar Breaks National Monument which some observers have claimed is a smaller but even better version of Bryce Canyon. Praise indeed. I can’t wait to return.
