fisher towers

Arches National Park, camping, fisher towers, girls camping, girls' trip, I went outside, Moab, outdoors, photography

After our jont into Arches National Park and lunch, we headed up River Road to Fisher Towers. The hike was highly suggested so we decided to head out off the beaten path to see what it was all about. It was 5 miles round trip and we throughly enjoyed it. With the combination of soft sand, rocks, ice and snow, steep climbes and a ladder down it was quite the hike!

We met up with Lauren's long time friend Kate at breakfast. Kate and her dog Emma hiked Fisher Towers with us and it was so fun to have them along.

After the hike we waved good bye to Kate and Emma and hopped into the car ourselves. After a long drive home, we were finally able to shower and sleep in warm cozy beds. I absolutely love being outside and adventuring, but it sure is nice to sleep in a warm bed too.

sunrise in arches

Arches National Park, camping, girls camping, girls' trip, I went outside, Moab, outdoors, photography

We got up Sunday morning to the sound of an alarm. Yes, we set it on purpose. We decided to head into the park early to watch the sunrise among the arches. And that was a good idea.

After the sun came up a bit, we headed further into the park. We stopped at Balanced Rock.

The next stop was at The Windows. We decided to get out and do the short walk around them to try and warm us up. With coffee and cameras in hand, we headed out to hopefully feel the sunshine warm our faces. It mostly worked.

It really was a beautiful morning. And once the feeling returned to my toes and my fingers stopped hurting, I really enjoyed it.

arches national park

Arches National Park, camping, girls camping, girls' trip, I went outside, Moab, outdoors, photography

The morning after staying in Goblin Valley, we packed up and headed the few hours to Arches National Park and Moab in southeast Utah. Arches has made the list of my top 5 favorite national parks. The landscape is so interesting and beautiful, every time I turned around I saw something new. “Wow” is something I said A LOT.

The only hike we did that afternoon was the one to Delicate Arch. We made the 1.5 mile trek in a record time of 30 minutes. Not sure what got into me but I lead the charge up the hill. I think I was so excited to finally see it that I just went, not really thinking about how fast we were going. But no worries, since we made it up just fine.

After the arch we went up River Road to Red Cliffs Lodge to see the Castle Creek Winery, but alas, it was closed for the season. We did go in to the lodge to ask a few questions, and soon found ourselves in an obscure Moab Movie Museum. It was a commemoration of the movies and commercials made in the beautiful Utah desert, including John Wayne movies, Indiana Jones, and MacGyver.

We soon headed back toward town for dinner, then headed back up the road a few miles to a campground. Because it was so cold in Goblin Valley the night before, and Lauren's sleeping bag zipper was broken, we laid the seats flat in Dani's Honda Fit and all three of us snuggled up in the back. Snug as bugs. Though, lesson learned on not cracking a window to allow more oxygen in to the car. We all woke up the next morning short of breath and too warm.

What an adventure!

goblin valley

camping, girls weekend, girls' trip, goblin, Goblin Valley, hiking, I went outside, Moab, photography

Dani and Lauren picked me up Friday afternoon and we began our trip to Southern Utah. Having never been to Goblin Valley or Arches National Park near Moab I was beyond excited. All of us were eager to get out of the city for a couple days and have an adventure.

And adventure we did.

We set up camp just before dark on BLM land just outside of the Goblin Valley park. We had a surprisingly yummy dinner of rehydrated food and some of the best hot chocolate I've ever had (spiked with cinnamon whiskey). Soon we were too cold to continue sitting outside and decided it was time for sleep.

We knew the temperature would fall below freezing and came prepared. Or so we thought. I'll just say, I've never been so glad to have a pair of handwarmers. The zipper on Lauren's bag broke so she was exposed to the night air all night. The condensation released by our breathing froze to the inside of the tent. And with a nighttime jont to release the contents of my bladder, really cold does not even begin to explain it.

Upon waking in the morning, we realized that because we were in a canyon we would not get direct sunlight very soon. Lauren suggested we head into Goblin Valley and make breakfast there. Agreed! We quickly packed up and headed into the park.

Goblin Valley is a sight to see. These weird little rock formations for the 'valley' floor by the hundreds. They really do look like the perfect place for little creatures to hide. They are so cool.

After breakfast, coffee, and a short wandering around the goblins, we walked a short trail to an overlook. The movement was welcoming after the cold night and shivers.