Martian. Stark. Wide-open. Barren.
Wooded. Green. Mountainous. Home.
There are many differences between Utah and the front range of Colorado, even though they are just a 6 hour drive apart. It’s these differences that lead us to go there, to see the strange, to explore the unknown. And it definitely shows us something unexpected every time.
The short-ish drive means it’s close enough for a weekend trip, so Kadi and I decided to do just that in the middle of April. Unfortunately, Colorado had other plans, and a snowstorm closed Vail pass on I-70, forcing us to stay put in Breckenridge for Friday night. We almost turned around at that point, but decided to keep going with a shortened plan, and it was definitely worth it.
We headed directly to Arches on Saturday, and though there were crowds, it wasn’t as bad as I expected. I think it was after the Spring Break rush, but before school is out for the summer. Arches never disappoints, and I can’t wait to go back. I really want to do some backcountry exploration there, but I don’t exactly know where to start.
We hung out and hiked around for a bit while the sun inched toward the horizon. I wanted to go to Delicate arch around sunset, but the timing didn’t quite work out that way. So we hiked to Delicate Arch as dusk turned dark, and there was still a crowd there. Someone did some pyrotechnics in the middle of the arch, and though I can’t condone the act, I just happened to have the correct camera settings to capture it.
The next trick of the trip was finding a camping spot, since dispersed camping isn’t allowed near Moab, and the regular camp sites are reserved often months in advance. One site that is pretty far out of the way is a camp site called The Ledge, which is where we were lucky enough to find one spot open.
After sleeping in and making pancakes, we packed up and went for a couple small hikes on the way back to town. When we got to town, we went to the most glorious little diner that I have ever been to, a place called Milt’s. It is a tradition to go there anytime I go to Moab, and I would recommend it to anyone going there themselves.
After Milt’s, we headed to an arch neither of us had seen before, Corona Arch. I know that it used to be a popular swing arch (people would rig up climbing ropes and swing below it), but it has since been disallowed. Nonetheless, we just wanted to hike to it!
There are a few steep sections on the hike there, including this steel ladder, so overall it is an excellent hike.
Definitely not too cheesy ❤
Corona arch was beautiful, and larger than I thought it would be! It is surrounded by cliffs, one side going up and one side going down. It’s really mind-boggling to try to figure out how it was formed over millions of years without falling down.
After our hike back out, we started the long drive back home. Though it is lame to head back to the real world, trips like these always leave stars in our eyes leading us back to the unknown.
P.S. I made a short video about this trip, watch it here!
cameronfedde 