Arches National Park near Moab Utah is spectacularly beautiful. This trip was made even more special by a musician playing under Windows Arch. Everyone was mesmerized. The sound coming from the small black steel drum was hauntingly ethereal. Wow! What a treat!!
We drove right to the end of the park where there are various trail heads for hikes. At dusk we took a hike to Delicate Arch where we watched the sun go down. All the red stone formations turned a glowing pink colour. Stunning!
Drove the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway to Moab today. It starts in Utah, heads a bit east and into Colorado and then south a ways before heading west again into Utah. Lots of open plains areas until we got into the red rocks. (Puts Sedona rocks to shame!)
One can’t go to Yellowstone National Park without seeing Old Faithful! When we arrived she had just finished spewing, so we had to wait an hour and a half for the next geyser event. That worked out fine as we spent the time having a picnic lunch and checking out other geysers in the area. I sat at a viewing area and sketched Old Faithful until she erupted at exactly 2:03. Amazing how accurate they can predict the eruptions!
It was cloudy as we drove south out of Yellowstone Park and into Grand Teton National Park. The Teton Range comes right out of flats. No foothills per se. tonight we are staying in Jackson Wyoming.
First stop this morning was the Paint Pots. A nice walk through Lodge Pole Pines took us into a thermal area. Lots of steam and even some boiling mud!
Calcite Springs and the Yellowstone River both cut their way through the sandstone rock of the area. Calcite springs leaves a colourful deposit as it goes. Very colourful.
The Yellowstone carves the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Very deep! Gorgeous views!!
The lower hot springs at Mammoth are walkable and very interesting as you can get very close to them. The upper terrace is a driving loop. It is amazing what formations thermal hot springs can create!
The first day in Yellowstone National Park we drove the upper loop. Gorgeous open area with elk and bison in abundance!
