May 6
If you are traveling in western Colorado, no better city than Montrose to spend one or more days. A quick ride up US 50 gets you to Colorado NMon. The first hiking trail on the park’s eastern entrance is Devil’s Kitchen, about 1.5 miles roundtrip. But you can extend it by having fun climbing and hiking on all the rocks and boulders. One factor to keep in mind if you want to get good photographs… know the sun’s location during the day and what direction your subjects face. Devil’s Kitchen looks to the east, so the morning sun was perfect. Other scenic spots along the park’s Rim Rock Drive need the afternoon to be lit up by the sun, such as Artists Point. From the Drive I could see hikers in the canyon valleys, nearly 2,000 feet closer to the Earth’s core. Great for them, but I was going to keep the elevation I had. Plan for at least one hour of driving to get from one entrance gate to the other. Speed limits are in place, and the road is longer than you might think. Of course, stopping for photographs, and viewing wildlife (a group of Big Horn Sheep caused a short delay on the road) will add time.
The drive from Fruita (that is the western entrance) into Utah is boring compared to what Interstate 70 offers back in central Colorado (all you skiers who have visited Vail, Breckenridge, and Aspen know what I mean) and what Colorado NMon provides. But a suggestion is not to keep the pedal to the metal until exit 182 (US 191 going south to Moab). Instead, exit at Crisco, and take Utah 128 along the Colorado River to Moab. This is one of the most scenic drives in all the land (once you get into the canyon section). Then, what can I say? Arches NP is a paradise for hikers. The four main sections are Devil’s Garden, The Windows, Delicate Arch, and Fiery Furnace. There are many other stops along the main park road which offer more rock formations, and associated hiking trails. Fiery Furnace requires a permit from the VC, since it is easy to get lost in the maze of pathways. Water is available at Devil’s Garden. The 7.9-mile loop requires experience in backcountry hiking. Most people take the trail only to Landscape Arch, then turn around and head back to their cars. But they will miss out on Double-O-Arch and Partition Arch, to name two.
Speaking of the parking lots, the new entrance reservation system may be accomplishing its objective. One must have a reservation to enter the park between 7 AM and 4 PM (can get it on www.recreation.gov). Yes, it took me 45 minutes to reach the Ranger kiosk to show my reservation and American the Beautiful pass, but after that the day worked better than expected. There were no waits in any of the parking lots. Plenty of people taking hikes and photographs, but it did not see crowded. I have seen the frustration of visitors when there are lines of cars waiting for parking spots to open. Though I was not happy about the 45-minute wait to enter, I will swap that for not having to worry about parking in the park.
A reminder to everyone. Many parks are instituting these timing requirements for entrance and activities. Check each park’s website for their current policies before visiting. Just as I pulled up to the Ranger kiosk, the kiosk for the right lane of vehicles told six motorcycles that they could not enter because they did not have a reservation. The bikers did a U-turn and left. Oh, yeah. For Arches, if you arrive before 7 AM or after 4 PM, you do not need an entry reservation. So, tomorrow I am going in at 4:30 AM in order to watch the sun rise at Delicate Arch.