----- Original Message -----
From: "Cotty"
Subject: Re: PESO - Last Glimmer
Is this area far from a road? Does on have to take a guided tour or is it
possible to roam? Obviously it's a national park with relevant codes of
conduct, but generally speaking, are restrictions severe, or is it more
laid back?
Arches is pretty laid back.
I was accosted by a ranger the last time I was there for wandering too far
off the path.
We had a pleasant conversation, I told him what to watch out for (some stuff
just shouldn't be trampled on) and he pretty much told me to have fun and
carry on.
If you are going to hike off path, be aware it is a desert, it gets bloody
hot, and you will need a lot of water if you plan to stay ambulatory. Take
some time to learn about the local ecosystem so you don't kill anything that
has taken a couple of millenia to grow, and have fun.
The best time of day to photograph is just around sunrise, before too many
tourists are out, but at any time of the day or night, there are
opportunities for some very nice photography.
The last time we were in the area, we took a drive up to Dead Horse Point
not far from Arches.
I decided to take a side road back, I think it was the Shaeffer Basin Trail,
and got myself into a world of difficulty, as my vehicle wasn't up to the
task of navigating the road.
I ended up putting a huge dent in the oil pan of my little Nissan Axxess
AWD, which didn't bother it at all, though oil changes were noticably
smaller volume afer that (like about 200ml).
This also started the search for a bigger truck, culminating in the purchase
of my Titan $WD last year.
After we got back to a real road, my wife said that if I was going to keep
doing shit like this, we needed a bigger truck.
The entire South Utah area, right from Moab to Zion is pretty incredible for
scenery.
Leave the rocks there, they aren't as red when you get them home.
William Robb
