The Fourth Park: Canyonlands National Park

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 park is full of breathtaking view and challenging hikes, that is if you are up for it. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Second Park: Yellowstone National Park

Image
 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. 
Read more

The Third Park: Arches National Park

Image
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...
Read more