Hiking Moab ~ Weather Improved & We Hiked Arches NP 04Nov24

Love Muffin huevos ranchero & muffins were tasty to start the day and we hit Arches Natl Pk without a queue or time entry requirement. The rain had stopped but some wind came up and it was still brisk in the high desert. Our first hike was into Park Avenue for some keen monuments like 3 Kings & Church (other something like that) and some artsy reflection pics enabled from the water pooling from rare rains. Nice 2 miler.

We came out of Park Ave's shadows thankful for sun and moved on into the park more for our 2nd hike around the Windows area. We chose to do a loop by taking the primitive trail behind the North & South Windows. This was another 2 miler but with plenty of folks till we rambled on behind. There were serious popping junipers as well as old dead craggy ones; "live earth" so we stayed right on the meager trail; and lots of arches. Back at the car I was able to snap a shot of some more distant arches and hoodoos across the road.

Back at the TH and car we decided to add one more hike... this one took us to Sand Arch and Broken Arch. At Broken Arch I clambered through with some moves and continued around a trail behind the ridge of formations along the base of which we had just come out. I took another spur out there to another arch on that trail, Tapestry Arch. It was a very cool return to the car through a slot canyon paralleling the one taken to Sand Arch and then through a nice campground before hitting the last leg. I did ~3 miles and a little more technical and climbing stuff  ~ the rest of the team did not have arch envy.

After the jaunts we headed back on the road toward the entrance. The La Sals were well dusted with yesterday's snowfall and beginning to poke through the clouds. Back in town we decided to stop at Proper Brewing, a Utah brewer in SLC & Moab. We subjected ourselves to odd Utah liquor laws where draft beer cannot be higher than 5%, but canned beer can be normal ABVs. We tried some OK hazies on tap and in the can... hmmm.

We dined later with a split team... the 3 Thai members ate back at Thai Bella but I tried a new tasty spot called 98 Center for Vietnamese, both are worth it. After of course Scooter brought a fine Rhone '15 wine and we toasted our luck and lives... with inbound snow in the Rockies we had considered departing a day early but our choice was completely great. We departed the following morning and made it home before the significant snowfall that came heavy over the next 3 days.