We love Arches

Wow, it feels like we just flew through Utah. After leaving Colorado we headed for Arches National Park hoping to get a backcountry permit before the visitor center closed. We made it to the park with a few hours of daylight to spare and secured a permit in an isolated area of the park. Ironically, there was one car at the trailhead and it was also from Maryland...strange. We hiked about an hour into one of the many canyons in the area and set up camp on a rock outcrop above the river. Finally, our first night out of the car or the comforts of a bed. We fell asleep to a clear sky and the sound of bats in the canyons.

We woke up (yesterday) at 6:15 to get an early start to the Memorial Day crowds. We hiked back to the car and drove/biked to some of the highlights in the park like Balanced Rock and The Windows but our favorite spot in Arches NP was Delicate Arch. We didn't want to follow the crowds up the trail that takes you directly to Delicate Arch so we opted for a trail that led to a view of the Arch and it was well worth it. Not only did we have the place to ourselves but it also provided for the perfect opportunity to ask Nicole to marry me! She said yes, thankfully, and now we're engaged! The rest of the day was kind of a blur. We eventually made it to Canyonlands National Park but not before stopping at a brewery in Moab, Utah to celebrate. Last night we found a great camp site on the edge of a canyon. We woke up to cattle ranchers asking us if we had seen their cows anywhere. We were apparently in an open range area where cows roam free.

We left Canyonlands this morning and drove through Flaming Gorge in Northeast Utah, and did a short hike to the gorge. We're just north of Flaming Gorge in Wyoming and planning to drive north to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for the congratulations! We'll update our photo album as soon as we are able.

~Zach & Nicole