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Welcome back my Beauties!
This post is gonna be a little different from my usual.
If you have been following me for years, you know how much I love to travel!
And when we say travel, we usually mean HIKE (or if you are from the U.K. Walking)
Every year around this time we plan our summer hiking trip.
Usually I do a post after we take a big trip but the past few years, I have been so busy I just don't manage to get around to it.
In fact I think the last one I did was our trip to Montana.
which you can see HERE
But that was 3 years ago.
2 years ago we went to Moab to spend the week in Arches National Park. This past summer we spent almost 3 weeks hiking around England. (that post is gonna have to be like 3 posts long LOL)
This weekend we were deciding where we going to do our trip this coming summer and the kids decided they wanted to do Utah again this time going to Zion.
It was at that moment that I realized how far behind I was getting in my travel/hiking posts.
The thing about the travel posts is that they still apply to why I blog. They are all about Art (natures artwork), Beauty (I mean seriously..that natural beauty) and DIY!
You aren't gonna see any of these things unless you do it yourself!
It takes a lot of work and planning but its always so worth the effort.
:)
So here is my post....FINALLY for TIPS on Hiking Arches National Park in the Summer.
First tip. Get up EARLY!
This is Moab!
We got up at this time (as my kids say "the butt crack of dawn")
Summer temperatures often exceed 100ºF, making strenuous exercise difficult. Late summer monsoon season brings violent storm cells which often cause flash floods.
We got up at this time EVERY SINGLE DAY!.
We stayed about 15 min from the park so that was a plus.
But know how the summer weather was we ALWAYS wanted to be in the park before 7am.
Not only do you beat the crowds, It is much cooler and the sun isn't sitting right on top of you baking you.
Second tip! The right gear!
We have been doing this a long time and so we have had time to build up what we all need for a family of 6.
First thing, especially if your doing full sun hiking is a good Cooling Towel
.
.
This was a first year ever having to use them.
Generally we hike in areas that are upper elevation and cooler.
Multiple times we needed winter gear, so this was a switch up for us not needing multiple layers.
One of the most important things you need is WATER!
In all my years, I still can't believe how many people I see set out without water. It doesn't matter if it's hot or cold.
You need WATER.
You don't need expensive CamelBacks
.
.
You can use other brands. We have multiple brands and they all work fine.
We each have our own.
We also keep gallons of water in our truck if we need to refill before heading on another hike.
Next, A sun hat
!
!
You will feel like the sun is pretty much sitting on top of you, and you will be thankful for the little bit of shade and protection it provides.
(also lots and lots of sunblock or sun protective clothing)
Third tip! A Good pair of Hiking Shoes.
You can see here that mine have seen a lot of action and this was after one of our hikes up to Double O arch.
You climb through multiple types of terrain and
they got coated pretty good in that gorgeous red sand.
(I still have socks that are permanently stained from that stuff :))
Also, again...do not attempt to make these hikes in bedazzled flip flops!
I have seen so many people not only head out without WATER, but think they are gonna climb in flip flops.
Which leads me to my NEXT TIP!
A good First Aid Kit.
I will save you the image of me missing part of my toe
after a very long hot hike (picture a very large blister inside my big toe to the point that a VERY large piece of the inside of toe just decided to JUMP SHIP)
Having the first aid kit allowed me to keep on with the hike and also not have to live in misery while we hiked on.
I have also had to replace my ace bandage
3 times in my kit for other hikers who don't bring a kit and roll their ankles. It is a painful feeling to have a nasty sprain and have a long way back down to their car.
3 times in my kit for other hikers who don't bring a kit and roll their ankles. It is a painful feeling to have a nasty sprain and have a long way back down to their car.
Last tips! Get a map and give yourself time.
We try to spend around a week in the park.
You really can't see it all in one quick trip.
Heck we were there a week and didn't even see half of it.
Fiery Furnace was closed but that was ok. We saw so much that our hearts were full and it just gives us another excuse to go back.
Now I am just gonna hit you with some pretty pictures of the park.
This is Pine tree arch.
It's basically the last arch before you have to be able to do some real climbing and hiking.
Which I call "the fun part"
We were actually traveling with my Husbands Parents and this is where they dropped off and we continued.
They knew their limitations and knew if they got halfway up and couldn't manage it would be an even longer trip back down.
This is part of the primitive trail as you head up to the higher arches.
I didn't show the parts where the steep inclines were because it was pretty much all "asses and elbows" :)
I figured no one wants to see that.
But imagine this rock formation on an angle and that's why the in laws stayed back.
Even my kids who are little billy goats had to work to climb up.
This is Navajo Arch.
We got to this after passing Landscape arch and heading on to Double O Arch.
The great thing about doing the more strenuous hikes is that we had this place to ourselves to enjoy the amazing view.
Navajo Arch is very secluded. Most people don't even turn off the path on the way to Double O Arch.
It is so Beautiful and it's amazing to me that people walk right past it.
It's great because to see it you have to walk into and look back to see the Beauty.
Kind of like Life; am I right?
Now for the hike that the park is known for.
Delicate Arch.
This is one of the most popular hikes so being Early Birds pays off.
First off PARKING at the trail head fills up quickly as it is.
Add to that the heat and sun. You really want to see this thing first thing in the morning.
I won't bore you with a lot of the long changing elevation and types of trail that lead up here, but it basically feels like you are in the desert and the you suddenly are walking on the moon.
One of the things with this hike is that you can't see the arch until you get to the very top and turn a corner.
I really think that's part of what makes it so magical.
You are sweating and tired and wondering if it will be worth it and you turn the corner and your eyes are rewarded.
My kids beat me to the top and this is how I found them.
Just looking at awe at this thing they worked so hard to get to see.
What was even more fun once we had taken our pictures and headed back down, was to sit right at the top of the bend and see people's expressions as they experienced the same as the rest of us.
You hike for a few hours and you reach the top and your eyes rest on this beauty.
I really was a cool thing to watch others experience that joy!
I can't count how many times we heard "oh my gosh!" and "It's so Beautiful" as people put their hands to their hearts!
This was taken at Double Arch.
You would never know from the smiles on their faces that we had already been hiking hours in 100 degrees and they wanted to do one more after this!
Just for kicks I decided to throw in this old pic.
My kids have been doing this a long time.
(This is where the kids "cut their teeth" on hiking)
(This is where the kids "cut their teeth" on hiking)
In fact somewhere in my REAL photos I have this pic with just the girls as I was pregnant with the twins and the next year they were in backpacks.
This was the first time I think they did this hike themselves at Rocky Mountain National park.
(The Alpine Ridge Trail begins from the far end of the parking area for the Alpine Visitor Center atop Trail Ridge Road. Although a very short hike, the trail is fairly steep, gaining more than 200 feet in just three-tenths of a mile. Combine this with being situated at an elevation of 12,000 feet and it's no wonder that it's earned the nickname of "Huffers Hill".)
(The Alpine Ridge Trail begins from the far end of the parking area for the Alpine Visitor Center atop Trail Ridge Road. Although a very short hike, the trail is fairly steep, gaining more than 200 feet in just three-tenths of a mile. Combine this with being situated at an elevation of 12,000 feet and it's no wonder that it's earned the nickname of "Huffers Hill".)
These are the Memories I live for.
And since I will probably never get around to writing a post about Canyonlands National Park I figured I would share this one with you here.
Its just a short drive from Arches N.P. and so worth the amazing views.
I took this one early morning as the sun was rising over Mesa Arch.
If you ever go make sure you check it out.
It won't disappoint!
There you have it!
I hope you enjoyed the little switch up from the usual!
Maybe someday I will live my dream of being a travel blogger.
You never know!
Until next time,
Get out there and see something Beautiful!
