Well, last night was the windiest night I've ever slept through. Things started to pick up around 3AM, probably peaked around 50 mph, and tried to blow us away. By morning the only signs of the windstorm was the complete lack of any leaves anywhere except a pile against the last tent in our row.
At 7:30, we were the first car into Arches National Park and managed to secure a campsite at Devil's Garden Campground at the end of the 18 mile park road. The drive in was stunning with stops at Balance Rock and other prominent geological features. The ever-present redstone gave a very nice look to everything.
After a short snack, we hiked to Tapestry and Broken Arches. The arches were magnificent but the quickly rising temperatures (and no shade to speak of) made the hike harder than expected. By noon we were back in the triple digit temperatures, so we opted to drive to town for groceries and air conditioning.
After lunch we split up while I gave a call back to Falmouth while Liv checked out bookstores. Apparently Dad's heart condition isn't getting better and a pacemaker is going in in a few weeks. As expected, he's nonchalant about the ordeal.
By 4PM we were back in the park, taking a long stop at The Windows, Double Arch, Turret Arch and watched some kids try to kill themselves on the cliffs. Double Arch was truly awesome and a complete geological curiosity. Granted, scientists have published how the thing was formed through years of erosion, but I like to let nature have this treasure without fully understanding the why, when, and how about it.
Back at the site, I had just laced up my shoes for a run when the sky opened up and we got hammered with probably the only rainstorm of the summer. In addition, our cooking supplies were nearly blown away during the 45 minute storm. In interest of self-preservation, I cancelled today's run (unfortunately) and instead we drove to Delicate Arch. By the time we got there the sun was gone and the view sub-par. We saw the arch, albeit just barely, then passed a desert fox heading back to the car
Although we had to brave 100 degree temperatures throughout the day, today was one of the best of the trip.
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