I still remember my first visit to Arches National Park in April 2007. I flew into Salt Lake City around midnight and then drove straight to Moab (4 to 4 1/2 hours) so I could see the park in the early morning. If you're taking pictures, you have to be up and ready at the golden hour.
I slept in the car for about an hour and a half (in the Park Ave. parking lot), shivering ... and then my cell phone alarm went off at sunrise. I was disappointed to find that it was an overcast and drizzly morning -- with temperatures in the high 30s.
By the afternoon, everything had changed -- the sun came out and I was sweating through my shirt on a hike to Broken Arch ... low 70s. Of course, this wasn't your standard high desert temperature swing -- Arches was indeed a seesaw, capable of changing at any moment. I learned that the hard way when I walked right into the middle of a hailstorm near Sand Dune Arch. Five minutes before that footage was taken, it was about 70 degrees.
I somehow missed North and South Window on my first trip, not to mention Double Arch. So I did a little hiking there today (on and off trail) -- I even clawed my way up the ice draped rocks beneath Double Arch. In month old shoes that have already lost their grip. Finding a safe way down was the most nerve wracking part of the day.
I also did a little hiking from the Devils Garden Trailhead -- I visited Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch but didn't have the chance to do the rest of the trail. I'm saving that for tomorrow morning (Sunday, December 27). I would also like to hike to Delicate Arch -- I've only been to the viewpoints facing it. Here are the photos from day one at Arches -- it's a great place to visit during the wintertime:
I spent Christmas visiting Wupatki National Monument and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon:
And for those who've been following along, here's the route I've taken thus far:
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About Me
- Jeff Meredith
- I am a researcher, reporter and conference producer with experience spanning the aerospace & defense, biopharma, chemical, consumer electronics, energy, homeland security, human resources and IT markets.
In January I rejoined Worldwide Business Research, where I serve as program manager for Consumer Returns, SCMchem and the Digital Travel Summit.
I have an M.S. in science and medical journalism from Boston University (Dec 2008) and did my undergraduate work at Indiana University, majoring in journalism and political science (May 2001). After interning for the Chicago Tribune as a collegian, I landed my first real gig in the Windy City: I was a senior technology writer for I-Street magazine (Sept 2001-Feb 2003). I covered nanotech and biotech startups. From March-November 2003, I worked for a newsletter publisher (Exchange Monitor Publications) in DC, covering congressional hearings, the NRC & DHS.
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