During the high heat of Washington’s summer, most District area residents escape to the shore, to the mountains, to cooler climes. Not so for Washington DC’s Marc Duncan, an examiner at Alexandria’s Patent and Trade Office, who escaped to the 100-degree heat of eastern Utah’s Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
During his vacation last month, the active Duncan mountain-biked, skydived, and swam at a local lake. But the highlight was a guided hike through the rugged Arches Nationals Park, near the town of Moab, with its thousands of eye-popping sandstone natural arches.
Duncan and friend Colleen Louw, from Sterling, Virginia, went on a vigorous day hike of the Fiery Furnace trail in Arches. After meeting up with a couple from Melbourne, Australia at their campground, they and a guide from Desert Highlights touring company spent most of a day scrambling up boulders, rappelling down cliffs, and crawling through narrow slots in canyons walls.
Narrow passageways can make for a tight fit.
The guide set the hikers up with ropes and harnesses for the rappels down the steep cliff faces. On more level ground, the group often “chimneyed” by bracing and moving their bodies through the tight passageways. A nimble step was needed to avoid the fragile soil crust lining the rock surfaces.
Rappeling down the Park's steep cliffs demands the right equipment.
Such exertions worked up an appetite, and a thirst, which was slaked afterwards at the Moab Brewery on South Main Street in town. The brewery serves a variety of stouts, ales, and pilsners. Breakfast can be had at down the road at Red Rock Bakery, which is noted for strong coffee, its bagels, and its colorful local “mountain men.”
When needing a break from earth-bound exertions, and the heat, travelers to Moab can go sky-diving, just 14 miles from town, with Skydive Moab. The company offers tandem skydives for those new to the sport for $235, and jumps from Cessna aircraft for veteran skydivers at $16-$27.
For Duncan, the base of operations was the campground Moab Up the Creek, conveniently located in Moab, just five miles from Arches. “It's about as luxurious camping as you can get,” said the Washingtonian, who prefers roughing it by day but chilling by night. “It has showers, bathrooms, available drinking water, grills.” The nightly cost for two persons is $20. Dogs are $5 each.
Washington DC's Marc Duncan, all geared up for a precipitous day trip.
“It was 104 degrees out,” noted Duncan of his Arches' cliff scramble, “but it is a desert and it was July, so I certainly expected it.”
The prospect of traveling through thin air seemed to give Collen Louw, of Sterling, Virginia, a moment of pause. But she persevered.
When Duncan returned to DC, even the sweltering District seemed cooler in comparison to hiking in 104 degrees.
Arches National Park contains thousands of stunning sandstone arches.
For more info:
Accommodations:
Moab Up the Creek
www.moabupthecreek.com
435-260-1888
PO Box 10
210 East 300 South
Moab, Utah 84532
Open March 1 through November 8
Restaurants:
Moab Brewery
www.themoabbrewery.com
686 S Main St
Moab, UT 84532-2901
435-259-6333
Red Rock Bakery
74 S Main St
Moab, UT 84532-2503
435-259-5941
Guided Tours:
Desert Highlights
www.deserthighlights.com
50 East Center St.
PO Box 1342
Moab, Utah 84532
800-747-1342
Guides hikes of KrillCanyon in ArchesNational Park are $100.
ArchesNational Park:
www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm
April through October: 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
November through March: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Individuals: $5 (Good for 7 Days)
Vehicles: $10 (Good for 7 days)
Skydiving:
Skydive Moab
www.skydivemoab.com
Highway 191 North, Canyonlands Field/Moab Airport. Shuttle service through Westracks, 435-259-7317.
Getting There:
Commercial airlines serve Moab from Grand Junction, CO and Salt Lake City, UT. By car, these cities are roughly two and four hours, respectively, from the park entrance. Commercial air service is also available between Denver and Moab.
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