Arches National Park, Utah

From Park City, we continued our trek south to the hiking and mountain biking mecca of Moab, Utah. We settled into Horsethief Campground near Dead Horse State Park in the canyons and mesas outside of town. Thunderstorms and torrential rain have plagued us on and off during our stay here in the “desert.” Apparently, late summer monsoons are the norm and we have been pelted by hail and watched lightening fork and thunder boom as storms roll over this parched landscape. Yesterday, we visited Arches National Park and hiked through “Park Avenue” which consists of towering red sandstone amphitheatres, sheer cliff faces and water carved canyons. We toured areas with massive balancing rocks and scrambled up the smooth rock face of Double O Arches. The girls pocketed another Junior Ranger badge to add to their growing collection and we headed home to more red rain waterfalls and gushing riverbeds. For the desert, this place has certainly been cool and wet for the last few days.

Bear Lake, Utah

We left the Teton mountain range behind in Wyoming and crossed into Utah to visit Bear Lake State Park. Warm, sunny weather and an empty campground were the perfect combination for a few lazy days of lounging by the beach. The girls broke out their boogie boards and wetsuits to practice their paddling skills before we hit California’s sunny shores.

After Bear Lake, we continued on our trip south as the road led us to Park City, Utah. A few days with the crowds at Jordanelle State Park were all we needed. We had visited here on our first six week sabbatical when the girls were four and six. It was shocking to see that the water levels of the reservoir had dropped almost 25 feet and the great beach we remembered had disappeared. The area is now covered with condos and the effects of all of this population pressure are evident.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

We left Yellowstone National Park and crossed into Grand Teton National Park near Jackson, Wyoming. We spent the last official day of summer swimming in the crystal clear waters of Jackson Lake and picnicking on the shore with brilliant views of the Teton mountain range. We camped at Gros Ventre campground and the girls played until dark when a multitude of stars lit up the night sky. Hiking along the shores Jenny Lake, we felt at home amongst the towering aspens and cottonwood trees which had turned golden to herald the beginning of fall. At the Visitors’ Centre, the girls added another Junior Ranger award to their mounting collection. A visit to the charming mountain town of Jackson, Wyoming yielded new tires for the truck and two new spares for the camper after we blew our fifth tire in Yellowstone.