The Last Hoorah: Part Three

...We took 4 days and skied, ice climbed, rock climbed, canyoneered, hiked, searched for shooting stars in the desert and drove 1,093 miles - welcome to a Marissa planned excursion...

Part Three: Arches National Park, Utah

The desert stars in Escalante were unbelievable.  We feel lucky to live far enough outside of the city that we can see the stars, however getting out into the desert rekindles an understanding of just how spectacular and massive the heavens are.  Our original intention was to  stay in Escalante and canyoneer the Neon Canyon.  However, we deemed our success questionable due to my lack of a wetsuit.  This was compounded by the local guiding company having no advice on the route, as there had not been an attempt yet this season.  We decided to return to the Moab area for some hiking in Arches National Park instead.

Park Avenue in Arches National Park

There is something that happens in children and my spouse when it comes to doing things they don't love.  I am convinced that the energy we muster is directly correlated to the desire we have for the activity.  You tell a small child to walk to the end of the block and you often hear whines, whimpers and the shuffling of feet.  However, you inform this same child that there may be ice cream at the end of this street and skipping and giggles often follow.   Likewise, you tell Brandon that at the end of a 4 hour huff to the top of the mountain there may be an ice formation he's excited about and he'll make it there in record time.  I tell him that there is a neat arch at the end of the 0.6 mile trail and I get this:

Actually, Brandon is a real trooper, he's just never seen much point in just hiking.  This continues to be a discussion point in our marriage, as I love to hike and he likes to beeline it to the activity we are planning to enjoy.

Brandon Admiring the North Window Arch

So, we had a day for me - a day of hiking, and there really wasn't too much whining, whimpering or shuffling of feet.  We wandered to all the touristy spots, and enjoyed afternoon strolls.

Landscape Arch

We ended the day with the sunset at Delicate Arch. 

Marissa in Front of Delicate Arch.  La Sal Mountains in the Background

It was stunning to watch the colors of the desert become increasingly vibrant with the setting sun. 

Delicate Arch with La Sal Mountains and Desert Behind at Sunset

The hike out was equally amazing with awesome lighting. 

Brandon Walking Back to the Car

Overall, it was a fun and mellow day.  Great to see a little more of the desert and spend some time with each other.  We splurged with a burger and a beer at the local brewery in Moab and returned to our campsite to rest up for our next big day.