Moab, Utah: Arches National Park & Jeep Heaven

You ever wonder where new Jeeps are born and old jeeps go to die? Well, I think I know the answer. Apparently jeeps are born in & eventually return to die in Moab, Utah. It seems almost everyone here drives a jeep. And not just any jeep. Nope, these jeeps are all turned out with huge tires, suspensions lifts, winches, and extra wide fender flares to keep mud from spraying the occupants. 

It seems Moad is the capitol of off-roading in jeeps. Sure they have ATV's and motorcycles however ATV's & motorcycles appear almost as an afterthought. They are welcome to share the trails however don;t get in the way of the real off-roaders in Jeeps. I'm sure many ATVers and motorcyclists would disagree however, here in Moab, the Jeep is King!

What, you don't own a jeep? You can take a jeep tour here or you can rent a jeep and explore on your own. Many of the off road trails are well marked.

Actually, I've noticed throughout the West, off-roading is a popular activity. Some parks have many more miles of jeep trails than paved roads. All that being said, Moab is clearly the Jeep Off-Roading Capitol. 

Arches National Park is a little less known than Zion National Park & Bryce National Park however it's every bit as amazing. Mary Lynn and I spent most of yesterday exploring almost all of the entire park.

Unfortunately I sprained my ankle in the afternoon and that has put our hiking excursions on hold for awhile; as a result we did not hike all the trails in Arches that we had planned however we were still able to see many of the special sites, albeit by car.

Today it rained on and off here in Moab so we decided to stay in camp and enjoy the day laying about. Very relaxing plus I was able to keep my ankle iced and elevated. As I said, it rained on and off all day however most of the time it was more of a drizzle than a hard rain. Then at one point the skies turned dark and the wind roared through town, with sand & detritus running in front of this wall of wind.

This was a minor 'blow' however it became rapidly evident just how Arches and the surrounding country side were sculpted.

Yesterday in Arches was truly amazing even with the weather being somewhat cloudy. Pretty warm and, as always here in the canyons, almost no humidity. You have to carry a fair amount of water with you for the various hikes. MLA and I use a small backpack that holds a bag you can fill with a couple liters of water. It has a tube that you drink through without taking the pack off. Plus it holds a few sandwiches. Perfect for day hikes.

Arches landscapes are as varied as they come. Over 200 arches exist in the park although the bigger ones number about 20 or so. Some are visible from the road however the best ones require a hike, some hikes are short however many require a longer hike. 

See Ya!