This is the first post in a series of our recent Mountain Biking and Hiking trip to Utah :
- Day 0 : Moab and The Arches
- Day 1 : Hans Flat to Maze Overlook
- Day 2 : Hike to the Harvest Scene Pictographs
- Day 3 : Maze Overlook to Teapot Campsite
- Day 4 : Land of the Standing Rocks
- Day 5 : Teapot to Lake Powell
Day 0 (May 18th, 2023) was our acclimation day before heading off into the Canyon Lands on our 5-day MTB tour of the Maze organized through Rimtours. We started with Breakfast at the Jailhouse – a bit of a Moab institution. Then some last-minute shopping for gear and food/drink. In the afternoon – we crammed a lot more into our last day of civilization for a while – Arches NP Hike, more shopping, dinner, and Slickrock Sunset.
(from left to right – David, Rich (author), Bryan, Tim, and Iain)
Please be advised that if you intend to hike at Arches National Park, a highly popular destination, it is important to book in advance. Otherwise, you may face disappointment and be turned away at the gate. As most of us have already explored the more popular sights at Arches, we ventured deeper into the park towards Devil’s Garden. We followed the regular trail to Double O Arch and Fallen Angel and returned via the more interesting primitive trail. Hiking at Arches never disappoints though it can get pretty crowded. Strava map here.
A great spot to catch the sunset in Moab is located outside town on the rocks overlooking the Slickrock trails. Although it may not have been considered a spectacular sunset by some, it’s a lovely spot to relax with a beer, enjoy the sunset, and chat about our upcoming plans for the morning.
“putting the can back in Canyonlands” – Photo by Rich, slogan by Bryan !
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