Canyons Near Moab
The Colorado Plateau, encompassing southeastern Utah, has great national and state parks that collectively tell the earth’s history of nearly two billion years. The spectacular view of layered reddish sandstone rock was majestically crafted into enormous canyons, mesas, buttes and millions of other shapes including arches and spires. It was almost overwhelming to imagine that this sedimentary rock is a result of ancient seas. After these seas receded, the land was lifted and sculpted by great rivers including the Colorado and Green Rivers as we know them today. Furthermore, grit-bearing winds, and freezing and thawing of rain droplets crafted magnificent formations that stimulate the imagination. One is awestruck by these unbelievably beautiful formations.
On Sunday, September 10, 2006, the road journey from Woodland Park, CO, to the Sorrel River Ranch took us six hours. We crossed into Utah on I-70 and exited south on Scenic Highway 128 toward the ranch. As we approached the ranch on the highway following the Colorado River, the relatively flat desert terrain rapidly changed to towering 1,000- to 2,000-foot buttes and mesas around us. The Sorrel River Ranch was about 20-30 minutes from Moab. We visited Arches National Park, and the Canyonlands National Park's northern section known as the Island in the Sky and the Dead Horse Point State Park.
The Sorrel River Ranch is a luxury 160-acre working spread with lush green pastures and tall cottonwood trees. Towering red rock buttes and mesas and the red-colored Colorado River contribute to a serene setting. In the daytime, the sky is beautiful blue. The night allows the viewing the marvelous twinkling stars and bright neighboring planets. If one wishes, a spa, horseback riding and rafting are available. The restaurant was excellent.
Our top-floor suite had an excellent view of the Colorado River and an immense mesa on the other side of the river. Our front windows also had scenic views of various gigantic buttes.
The original settler's log cabin and outhouse are still maintained on the site. The guest common areas are decorated with antique ranch equipment.
While stopping at a river day camp off the highway to take a photo, we were greeted by a female peacock, which was looking for a handout.
Although the Arches National Park has the largest concentration of arches in the world, the numbers have no significance beside the grandeur of the landscape of other formations of balanced rocks, spires, pinnacles and domes against the enormous sky.
Bronze sculptures of two ravens and a big horn sheep greet visitors at the visitors’ center.
It was difficult to reach the arch known as Delicate Arch because of a long hike from another direction. This arch is one of two most photographed formations and is seen on the Utah automobile license plates.
The favorite Landscape Arch was difficult to see in the afternoon with the sun shinning in my eyes. A better time to take its photo is in the morning.
Towering 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, Dead Horse Point State Park provides a breathtaking panorama of Canyonlands’ sculptured pinnacles, buttes and canyons. According to one legend, cowboys rounded up wild mustangs in the narrow neck of this land and they were left to die.
Canyonland National Park is divided into three districts. The Island in the Sky district, which we visited, is a high mesa some 2,000 feet over the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers. We were given an orientation about the terrain, fauna and flora of Canyonlands by a park ranger.
During our travels, a raven, a close cousin of the crow, greeted us.
A shadow was seen on a rock formation where highway 128 intersects highway 191 north of Moab. It looked like a cowboy to this photographer. So partner, hope you liked this presentation. Happy trails to you.
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