Tips for Hiking Arches National Park Moab Utah during the summer months.

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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.

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.

But as usual, TOTALLY WORTH IT!

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)

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".)

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! 

Tips on Navigating Glacier National Park

Welcome back my Beauties!
As you know we do a family hiking trip every summer.

It generally takes me about a year to get my thoughts together on the past trip before I can put it into a post.

Adding to that was taking care of my Mom as soon as we got home from this trip and then losing her shortly after.

But things are starting to settle back into a sort of normal and we are packing for our next hiking trip to Utah,

so I thought now would finally be a good time to post some tips on Navigating Glacier National Park.

You may remember the year before that I did a post on 

Navigating Acadia National Park

This post is a sponsored post or  uses affiliate links to help you find the products I trust and love

We have been a hiking family since my oldest was just a baby when we spent year after year at Rocky Mountain National Park and many of the other Local Colorado hiking trails. 

As the kids have gotten older and have they now have the strength and stamina our hiking trips have gotten bigger and better.

Instead of the bit of grumbling they used to do at the thought of hiking in the mornings and asking why we couldn't just "go to a mall" like other families; they have now started asking
"where do we get to go this year"

In the struggle of parenting it's a nice little "WIN" in my mind :)

So now onto my TIPS on Navigating Glacier National Park.

Tip #1.......

If they have a shuttle system; USE the shuttle system.

This is a big pet peeve of mine in the national parks.

If you truly love the parks and want to preserve the BEAUTY of the park, use the shuttle.

Now I get it; people are impatient.

They don't want to WAIT for the bus, and the time it takes to pick everyone up.

I really do GET IT...I am one the most impatient people EVER.

BUT,  I LOVE my national parks, and I know a bit of WAITING isn't gonna kill me.

It helps preserve something that I love.

I can't tell you how heartbreaking it is to watch cars and big ole diesel trucks driving a two hour drive up to the top of the mountain with minimal parking only to have to DRIVE back down and waste all that gas to PARK down at the base and take the shuttle up. 

Now I know I am on my soap box, but this smiling face is WHO I want to save the parks for. 

I want him and all my children to be able to bring their kids to these parks and have them still be here. 

A tiny bit of inconvenience can save the park for years to come.

Plus when you are DOG tired from hiking all day, knowing you can sleep on the bus on the way back down is so awesome.

I mean, I look over on the bus and I get to capture this moment with my husband and daughter after hiking all day.

I wouldn't have gotten that if he was making the 2 hour drive down the mountain. (mostly because I would have been nervously watching him navigate the treacherous cliff edges and narrow roads)

Instead we leave it to the awesome bus drivers who are mostly School bus drivers and retired Logging truckers.

Both of whom navigate these roads EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Tip #2....

PLEASE, OBEY the SIGNS!!

and Tip #3....BEAR SPRAY! 

We got to Glacier 1 week after a man had been killed by a bear.

I am not doing this to scare you, but you NEED a healthy FEAR of the bears.

This is their HOME and they will protect it.

While we were hiking to hidden lake we watched an adult FATHER and his son, step over this sign in front of the ranger and continue up into the active BEAR area.

I looked at the ranger and he just said, I told them not to, the sign is there, If they don't have the brains to obey, then there is nothing I can do. 

There is so much BEAUTY in the park to see without having to put your CHILD in direct danger.

We had Bear spray but luckily never needed it.

One of the things about bears is that if they HEAR you generally they will go the other direction.

We had our 4 kids with us who have no problem being LOUD and singing the whole time on the trail. 

Most likely any bear around us would have been plugging their ears and running the opposite direction. 

But we did run into another family on the shuttle (you get to meet lots of people who enjoy the same place as you on the shuttle as well) who actually ran into a bear on the trail. 

For some reason there kids were being quiet and they didn't have bear spray. (you can RENT it in the park..something I think they finally decided would have been a good idea after the fact) 

They stood on the trail and stood absolutely still letting the bear know they were not a threat. They said the bear "barked" at them a couple times and walked away.

Like I said before, I am not telling you this to scare you, it's so you will be proactive and know how to avoid being in this situation so you can enjoy the beauty around you.

You can see Plenty of wildlife right smack dab in front of you WITHOUT putting yourself in danger.

The mountain goats and Big Horn sheep were out in full force while we were there. We had to wait about 25 minutes on the trail while we waited for this herd to move along.

(Like I said before, patience and knowing that this is THEIR home is key in the national parks) 

I got so many amazing pictures while I was waiting I kind of wanted to thank them for taking their sweet sweet time on the only path on Highline trail.
Once they moved on we could continue on with our Highline Hike trail.

Tip #4 Proper Gear.

Hiking in Montana can be easy and it can be hard. You have elevation changes, landscape changes and weather changes.
Having the proper gear is one way to make sure you ENJOY your hikes.
As you can see from these two pictures there is two different types of terrain.
We went from Rocky to Snow packed a couple different times. 
Having good hiking boots or shoes is key.
I can't tell you how many people I saw trying to navigate the snow pack in Cowboy boots or a pair of chaco sandals with no socks.
The man in the cowboy boots couldn't stay upright and the girl in the chaco sandals couldn't continue on with most of her hike because her feet were freezing in the snow. 
I myself have tried quite a few over the years and my favorite is the  Salomon Ellipse hiking shoe
It has lasted me 3 hiking seasons in 3 different kinds of terrain.

My husband loves his Merrells and they have lasted him just as many if not more.



I have one daughter who has to have a hiking boot because she has weak ankles but all the rest wear some brand of hiking shoe as well.
For the money they have served us well.
One of the things no one really tells you that I tell new hikers is you kick your TOES.....A lot!!
You are walking around and bam...rock sticking up you smack your toe. If you had a regular tennis shoe on you run the risk of hurting your toes badly or worse breaking a toe. 
So even if you can find a cheap hiking shoe, I suggest that over a tennis shoe; or cowboy boots LOL!

Also you will need LAYERS.
For this hike on Hidden Lake we started out at the base in t-shirts but by the time we reached the trail head and higher elevation we had to pull out sweatshirts and jackets.
You don't need some fancy name brand and easily layering clothing is fine. You will want a sort of a WIND BREAKER for the WIND...hence the name. Because they are easy to pack up and take up little space when you get warm and need to remove them. 
Hats for the sun since again you are at a higher elevation and its easier to get sun burn.
and LOTS and LOTS of water.
We have a water pack for each person.
Again it doesn't have to be expensive.
My husband and I both have camelbacks that we have had forever but the kids just have some random ones that I find on sale over the year. 
You can get these High Sierra hydration packs at Costco normally under 20 bucks.

One of the biggest dangers in hiking isn't bears; its dehydration.
People forget to drink water all the time!
I don't know how many families we have run into where the kid is crying and screaming at some small summit and they can't figure out what is wrong and we ask them if they have been drinking any water and they say NO.

Despite the fact that sweating isn’t as obvious in the winter or in dry climates, hydration can be more important in the colder months than the warmer months. Cold, dry air strips the water from our bodies faster than warm humid air, necessitating the consumption of more water during a winter hike. Keep your tightly-sealed water bottle inside your coat to help keep the water from freezing.

Dehydration Symptoms

One of the earliest symptoms of dehydration is one that is the most often overlooked: a headache. If ignored, the victim is subject to temperature related illnesses such as heat stroke and hypothermia. Dehydration can cause hikers to become confused and disoriented. 

Tip #5....
Take breaks. :)
Having kids hiking with you means you move a little slower, and that their little legs have to keep up.
So when you reach a nice resting spot, give them a break (or in this case your husband)
After a few hours of ascent it's nice to find a nice rock to lounge on.
Some of my fondest memories I have are stopping to have lunch or a snack on the trail.
(please bag your trash and bring it down with you to properly dispose of it, no one wants to see a dorito bag laying in their beautiful pictures) 
We tend to be a purpose driven society and hiking can help you realize that sometimes the journey is the destination.
We had plans to make it to the full summit on this hike, but with 3 hours under our belts and knowing that we had another 2.5 hours to get back down (you go faster downhill) :)
We decided not to push the kids any further than the saddle. 
I may have missed my chance a few more beautiful pictures but believe me I got PLENTY on all our hikes.

And the last Tip I am going to leave you with today;
Tip #6
HAVE FUN!
Here you can see the kids having a snowball fight on the highline trail. 
It's the middle of the summer and they loved being able to have a good ole fashioned snowball fight out in the mountains.
Now I hope I didn't sound to harsh in the beginning, but I LOVE my National Parks and hate the thought of them not being around for my grandkids and future generations.
So with that I will just leave you with some BEAUTIFUL pictures to show you WHY I love the national parks so much and especially Glacier National Park.

Hiking the Trail of Cedars to Avalanche Lake
Glacier National Park

Heading back from Highline Trail.

Enjoying the overlook of Hidden Lake trail

(We had to change our hiking plans the next day because of bear activity and this trail was closed)

Avalanche Gorge (Trail of the Cedars)

Enjoying the many waterfalls on our way to Virginia Falls and St. Marys Falls and Baring Falls.
I have a billion gazillion pictures so I won't fill this post up with any more.
BUT, we head to Utah in a few weeks and if you want to see the pictures as they happen you can follow me on 
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK
or
SNAPCHAT

ART IS BEAUTY


I hope you enjoyed this photo heavy post. 
It has been on my mind a lot lately to write it up.
Finding the time has been difficult, but I know that even if no one reads it, I have it forever in digital form to look back at 
and remember all the fun we had as a family on our hiking trips.
I hope it has inspired you to go out and 
make your day BEAUTIFUL!

Art is Beauty HOME~ Summer Edition

This post uses affiliate links to help you find the products I trust and love

Welcome back my Beauties.

Today's post won't be along the lines of my normal posts.

You see, here at my home, its SUMMER VACATION time.

Being from Michigan this is the time of year when we SUCK EVERY LIVING MOMENT out of the Season.

you can read more about our rescue dog SMOOCH here

In a place where we are trapped for months at a time in a mountain of snow and gray clouds we tend to go to extremes in the spring and summer.

We know it can't last forever so we make the most of the time we have before Old Man Winter

starts turning his head toward us again.

That being said this is a post to let you know that I will STILL be showing you projects, (all though not as frequent) and still be around on FACEBOOK and Instagram showing those projects, but also showing what we are doing to suck the life out of SUMMER.

Now every year we take a big hiking trip and last year we did Acadia National Park.

I NEVER got around to showing you.

I feel terrible because the plan had been to post about it when we got back.

But life happened. We got busy. I forgot!  :) ...(more of the latter than anything) :)

So in the next few days I will showing you some tips on how get around Acadia.
Which you can NOW see Here!!

(If you have never been, its one of the MOST Beautiful National Parks, but also one of the CRAZIEST to get through) I have tons of tips for how to navigate this BEAUTIFUL but BUSY park and town. 

You see out NEXT hiking trip is in 3 weeks and that is what reminded me that I never showed you.

So hopefully I will be a little better and maybe have some tips for Glacier National Park written up this summer too. (Or maybe at least a post with pretty pictures like I did for Ireland)

Anniversary trip to Ireland


We tend to even DIY our vacations so I figure this fits right in with the whole DIY theme and the sites we see are some of the most BEAUTIFUL, which fits right with my Art is Beauty theme as well.
So if you want to virtually suck the life out of summer like we do, be sure to follow along.
Until tomorrow,
Have a Beautiful Day!