Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Devil's Garden Trail, Arches National Park, Utah

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The Upper O of Double O Arch, Devil's Garden Trail, Arches National Park, Moab, Utah

Trailhead: Devil's Garden Trail
Location: Arches National Park, Moab, Utah
Features: Arches, Rock Fins, Hoodoos and Other Rock Formations

This is a very fun hike, with amazing desert scenery starting from Devil's Garden trailhead. The Devil's Garden Trail, a 7.2 mile trail, contains the largest concentration of significant natural arches in the world. The first mile is on well maintained and easy to find trail, that leads to the popular stop in Devil's Garden trail, the Landscape Arch.
Landscape Arch ( can be seen after 0.9 mile from Devil's Garden trailhead)
Landscape Arch is the longest natural arch in the world, having a span length of 290 ft, yet having only 6 ft of thickness in its thinnest section.  After the Landscape Arch, the trail is no longer well defined, but that's when more fun began! :) It became more fun for us guessing where the trail is :) since most sections of the trail are on rock fins. 
Devil's Garden Trail, Arches National Park

Some sections of the trail requires some scrambling over rocks, but is rewarded by some of the best views I have seen in my many hikes.
Fun Rock Scrambling
The View from the Rock Fin Trail

There are some exposure to heights while walking on the rock fin, but it is pretty safe hike because the fin is wide and more level. However, because the fins are basically vertical slabs or rocks, the exposure to heights on both sides could still cause uneasiness to those who have fear of heights. When we were here, there was a couple where the lady was trembling, her partner had to guide her all the way to the end of the rock fin trail.
Me, on top of Rock Fin ( could you see the black arch in the far front? )

There was a point in our hike that it became too windy, that walking on the fin felt unsafe. I grabbed the moment to sit down and simply enjoy the scenery.
No, He is not Daredevil, he was on the same Rock Fin trail we were on. I wanted to have picture there, but he was enjoying the views around him there for a very long time ( I could not blame him). I decided instead to take picture of him, then, moved on to complete the hike.
Un-named Rock Hoodoo( what do you see?)
Most of the hike is on rocky footing over sandstone slabs and slick rock with narrow ledges. There is stunning vista everywhere you look from the trail that not even seeing the arches is so worth it, but of course, the arches are added bonus. 
Double O Arch from the Trail

The sight of Double O Arch from the trail was not that very impressive, after having seen the other arches in the park which are easier to hike such as Delicate Arch and the Windows. However, hubby tried to go at the other side of the O, and these are what he got.
Double O Arch At the Other Side
( that's me at the lower O, trying my hardest to scramble past the lower O to join hubby who was photographing the sceneries around)
Me, still stranded at the Lower O
I gave up and decided to pose instead there at the Lower O, had I known this is what I will see, I would have probably tried harder to scramble past that lower O to get to hubby's location. Sometimes, my fear of skidding on rocks stops me from exploring :(

Arches National Park is a landscape of change, what is here now, may no longer be here tomorrow. The arches, hoodoos, vertical slabs, rock fins were all part of massive sandstone but overtime, the solid sandstone cracked due to stress. Then, water entered the cracks making them bigger. The fins and arches remained which are continually polished and shaped by wind and water.

The best time to hike this trail is late fall to early spring, since the trail is mostly exposed. The temperature when we hiked here Thanksgiving 2010 was 30 - 40F ( 0- 5 C). Hiking at an almost freezing temperature  for us is perfect compared to hiking in exposed summer heat. Truth is, we were here summer of 2007, the temperature was 90s F ( 32 C), but we hardly explored because we could not take hiking in the heat. We decided to go back when it was cold and freezing, but for desert hiking, a colder temperature is a lot more tolerable for us, with an added bonus: very few people in the trail.
♥♥
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30 comments:

  1. Arches National Park must be such a majestic sight. Would love to visit.

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  2. I watched TV program on Yellowstone Park last night. It is beautiful too.

    Nature offers us so much fantasy, and I can see a penguin as the rock hoodoo.

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  3. Your adventure looks so fun, and your photos are amazing, Betchai! What a beautiful place to vacation or taking a break from life.

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  4. This is a one of the wonders of nature!

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  5. Bets, I tell you, my life is so enriched with your fabulous photographs of your hikes. I wish. so much, I would have undertaken some of these hikes when I was young and slim and filled with energy. I do have a terrible fear of open heights but I would done some of them, lured by the incredible beauty. I was born in Georgia and lived in the South till after nursing school in New Orleans. I fled, then, because I really do hate the heat and humidity. I can't imagine your hiking in the desert but I know that area must have been nice during your last hike. It's so nice that both you and your husband share this same love of adventure and photography. You two are a perfect match and we're the great beneficiaries!!!

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  6. You visit so many different climates. It is amazing. I never think of the US as having so many different climates but your photos remind me it does.

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  7. You started to make me wonder, betchai. Do you lives nearby there? You had so much fun!

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  8. Pretty amazing. I've seen lots of pics of them, but never with people I "know" in them. Fun.

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  9. I love seeing the views through your camera lens; they are beautiful and awesome. The rock fins on the trail look hard to walk on. Like Rainfield, I see a penguin in the un-named hoodoo. :D

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  10. It looks like a lot of fun, and the scenery is amazing. What cool pictures.

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  11. Gorgeous photos and such an adventure you're taking, just fantastic!

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  12. wow, it surprises me that you do sometimes fear skidding on rocks wonderwoman:) you left me catching my breath again...whew, those arches are simply stunning! and you never fail to make me joyous viewing God's creation..you look so cute stranded at the lower O, love yah Betchai!

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  13. You're in great health to climb or hike like that, the small O is still huge!

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  14. Beautiful, beautiful arches! How I wish we have those here :)

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  15. I'd say it's like a penguin looking up.

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  16. Beth, am still wishful to see and explore Moab someday soon. You and Khai took very good photos! We had so much fun photo-exploring with you guys! Can't wait to see you again in a couple of weeks!

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  17. Great adventure Sis. Dapat dito na lang ako kumuha ng pictures ng I've done an article about Beautiful rock formations.

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  18. wow such a breath taking view!

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  19. The beauty of rock formations lies with this place. Really enjoyable to visit this place. But for me, just in photos.

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  20. this is a great opportunity for you to share your nice trail in Utah, i've always heard about this state and never step a foot on those land and hopefully too soon to see this breath taking view.

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  21. The name of the trail is interesting :-) I like the views :-) They are breathtaking to look at :-) Thank you Sis for taking us to Utah :-)

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  22. amazing rock formation and gorgeous view too! its nice to know that you're enjoying it and you're having a healthy lifestyle

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  23. OMG! You're really very adventurous. I don't know if I'll have the endurance to do what you've done. Just looking at the rocks eh pagod na ako hahaha. Very nice shots once again. :-)

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  24. If I was in that arch, I would be amazed on how big it is and it will be so fun to walk in there! I thirst for adventures.. :)

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  25. rock scrambling sounds fun, I doubt though whether I could climb without my knees shaking, heart pounding and hands sweating hahahaha...:) here again and loving those awesome nature's arches! :) love yah!

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  26. Nauuhaw ako sa ganda ng view sis. Believe ako sa energy niyo for hiking. ^_^

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  27. So inlove with your lifestyle ate. Mother Nature is such a great thing to explore and enjoy!

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  28. Awesome! Looking at the formations gives me deeper conviction on God's creation...the Master creator has made earth his canvass and everything is wonderful! Thanks for the virtual tour!

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THANK YOU SO MUCH!!