Day 13 Saturday May 18: Arches National Park

I must start this account with an episode of “The People You Meet.” When I drove up into Arches my intent was to travel straight through to landscape arch to best capture the light and hopefully avoid the crowds. However, the place they call Courthouse Towers was so magnificent in the morning light, I just had to pull in. There was a sizeable group taking photos so I took some plant close-ups and waited for them to finish. One man came over and asked if I would be so kind to take a group picture of some “crazy Texans”; I said I would be delighted and asked “whereabouts are y’all from?” “Texas A&M” they replied, and I immediately responded with “Gig em Aggies!” We had a fine time chatting and they officially adopted me and included me in their group photo: what a treat - an Aggie at last!:

Setting the stage: I purposely set aside this day as my own person sojourn to Arches, one of my top three places in the world: right up there with the BWCA (Boundary Waters) and Cumberland Island. I first stopped at the Visitor’s Center where I picked up a book (what a surprise), saw a wonderful quote and asked a sales person for more information. That delightful lady and fellow book person, Cindy, told me about the local author Terry Tempest Williams and introduced me to her work “Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert,” which I promptly purchased and have treasured reading.

Ms. Williams is, in my opinion, the present day equivalent of Edward Abbey whose book “Desert Solitaire” is the first book that spoke to me about this place. From the front piece of his book:

“The wind will not stop. Gusts of sand swirl before me, stinging my face. But there is still too much to see and marvel at, the world very much alive in the bright light and wind, exultant with the fever of spring, the delight of morning. Strolling on, it seems to me that the strangeness and wonder of existence are emphasized here, in the desert, by the comparative sparsity of the flora and fauna: life not crowded upon life as in other places but scattered abroad in spareness and simplicity, with a generous gift of space for each herb and bush and tree, each stem of grass, so that the living organism stands out bold and brave and vivid against the lifeless sand and barren rock. The extreme clarity of the desert light is equaled by the extreme individuation of desert life forms. Love flowers best in openness and freedom.”

This is the quote by Terry Tempest Williams that set the tone for day:

“If the desert is holy, it is because it is a forgotten place that allows us to remember the sacred. Perhaps every pilgrimage to the desert is a pilgrimage to the self. There is no place to hide and so we are found.”

Having no additional words to express the wonder of this place that so touches my heart, I’ll let my photos speak:

In addition to the scenery, sometimes you’ll stumble upon one of nature’s incredible creatures:

On my way out of the park, I decided to stop one more time at the Courthouse Towers to take another flower photo and had another special treat: a mule deer doe was sauntering through. She was kind enough to pose for photos, the closest I have ever been to such a wild creature:

While I was enjoying Arches, Thomas had a much needed, relaxing day back at camp. As we finished dinner, we were treated to a spectacular sunset;       a perfect ending to another perfect day:

How Blessed we are!