Day 22: Back to Arches, Still Hot

We were up early again to beat the heat, heading out at 6:30 a.m. These early wake-ups don’t feel like vacation, but we are trying to rally our last few days here so we can adventure before we bake.

Our destination today was Landscape Arch, its trail located at the very last parking lot in the park (which thankfully had plenty of parking at 7 a.m.). The hike was 1.8 miles, which I felt was very doable, so I was looking for more. The stretch goal was Double O Arch, which was 4.2 miles roundtrip.

Once we saw the first arch, the kids both said they were up for doing the longer hike to the second one. We only brought three of the big Nalgene water bottles; next time we need to plan for the longer hike and bring a little extra.

The route to this second hike was breathtaking.

Double O Arch was very cool. It took us two hours to get the 2.5 miles there and only an hour to get back. Nicholas is highly motivated by scrambling and rock climbing, less so by the more flat/paved paths. This means that some of the earlier and easier parts of the hike are the hardest to motivate.

Once back at the trailhead, we filled up with waters and all drank a ton to make up for our shortage on the hike. I see people carrying a single disposable bottle of water on the same trails and don’t understand how they can consume so little.

Once back to the RV and after lunch, Rob got to work and the boys got to doing quiet activities. They are working on journals and will always take the chance to read their Kindles. After that, the boys and I headed out to the pool knowing we had 3.5 hours to kill so Rob could work quietly in the RV. Back at the RV Rob was busy trying to stay cool and work. Today we hit an unbearable high of 115! Even with his window coverings, water cooling roof, and double A/C running, he had to work in 92+ temps inside the RV. Poor guy.

Dinner was quesadillas outside on the griddle again, and we skipped dessert. When dinner is a little light Rob often has a pretty large snack once the kids go to bed. Tonight was 2 English muffins, toasted on the car to help keep the heat out of the RV.

Once the boys were in bed, we spent the evening planning for our day in Canyonlands National Park tomorrow.