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The Fourth Park: Canyonlands National Park

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The last stop on this whirlwind of a journey was Canyonlands National Park. This park is aptly named for the many canyons that are within it. Starting at the top of a large canyon overlook, which was one of the steepest trails that I have every hiked, a group of us hiked down to the valley. It was an arduous but riveting journey to the bottom, with the group dwindling down to only five, as people turned back due to blisters and sheer tiredness.  The rest of us went on to another canyon that was nested inside the first. Turning to look back at the steepest climb that we ever descended, we knew that at some point we would have to go back up. However, that did not have to happen immediately. We treked over to the next canyon, enjoyed the views, and rested before making our ascent back to the top. It was a very tiring day but not nearly as exhausting as 90 plus degree weather would seem. When one is used to Pittsburgh humidity, 90 degree weather in the desert in a walk in the park. The...
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The Third Park: Arches National Park

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To continue the trip, the fearsome fivesome needed to travel south for about six hours to arrive at Arches National Park. So we went in our minivan, which was the mode of travel for five young adult friends, and we were on our way. As we traveled south, the landscape began to change. Large mountains morphed into a rugged, dessert landscape. Arches National Park is known for its many arches that are included in the park grounds. These arches are made from sandstone formations that have eroded overtime to be left with fantastical arches.                                             We took another few days, in the ninety plus degree heat,to travel to these different areas around the park. Days in this park where filled with rock climbing and exploring in this place that quickly became an adult playground for a herd of more than ten young adults. Even though this is a smaller p...
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The Second Park: Yellowstone National Park

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 After a few days of hiking the wonderful mountains of the Grand Tetons, our tired but excited group headed North to Yellowstone National Park. Being the first national park, we knew there would be some sights to see. This park is much more touristy than our last, but the erupting gysers, beautiful hotsprings, and other geological features are worth the wait. On top of this, we also saw the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It features a beautiful waterfall and a rugged canyon carved out by a lake, like its namesake to the south. This is certainly a park to see, but don't be alarmed by the bison crossings that may slow you down as you go. 
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The First Park: Grand Tetons National Park

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What started as an idea to just visit two national parks in Utah, turned into memories that will last for a lifetime. Plans started as a group of twelve plus friend, all in their twenties or thirties, to travel to Arches National Park. However, having several teachers, and others with flexible schedules in the group, we decided to extend the trip and travel to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks. So that is what a group of five of us did. The Grand Tetons is a beautiful national park in Wyoming. Upon arrival to the park, you are met with a landscape of flat plains and beautiful, huge protruding mountains. Being a young, active, adventure-seeking group, we had about five days of hiking about ten miles each day. Surviving on adrenaline, Cliff Bars, and little sleep, the group would wake up at four each morning to be at the park at 6 A.M.. We would hike until the sun went down, stopping only for trail snacks, and to take in breath-taking sights. It was a whirlwind of a trip an...
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