October 31 - Arches National Park

Courthouse Monuments
We started the day before dawn at the Courthouse Monuments - a collection of quite a few prominent sandstone... well, monuments. There had been a significant amount of rain the week before we arrived, and fortunately a few puddles remained.





Fiery Furnace
This was the hilight of the trip as far as some were concerned. Fiery Furnace is a pretty wild area full of vertical fins, huge boulders and sandy washes. Because of the delicate environment in this trail-free region, an orientation is required in order to enter.

Every corner we turned opened a new and fascinating world - each distinct from the previous. Whether or not I took any pictures, I had a great time scrambling through the rocks and tight places.

This sandstone is incredibly grippy (as long as it's not wet). In places we were walking on some very steep angles that you would have thought impossible (and would have been on other surfaces).







Balanced Rock
Out of the Fiery Furnace, we just had time to drive over to one of the Balanced Rock overlooks for the sunset. The La Sal Mountains are visible behind the red sandstone formations. It was a nice way to end the day.



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