CW: Morning Glory Bridge

After breakfast the next day (Sept. 29th) our Country Walkers group piled into the two vans and descended from Mesa Verde, bound for Moab, Utah. The drive consumed the morning, with a gas/rest stop in Monticello and a brief photo op at Church Rock, so named through its association with a religious group led by Marie Ogden.

The drive was about 143 miles, and took us down to 4,000' in altitude. We had a great lunch at the Moab Diner.

Afterwards we drove on through Moab, turned right at the Colorado River, and stopped to hike Negro Bill Canyon,

all the way to Morning Glory Bridge.

At this lower altitude it was hot; the temperature in Moab was 90º. Initially we were in direct sun,

but as the canyon narrowed there was more shade. The trail crossed and recrossed a creek at the bottom of the canyon.

Although the trail doesn't gain much altitude, there were short bursts of ridge scaling.

Outside the creek it's an austere, xeric landscape.

Eventually the "bridge" came into sight at the end of a side canyon.

Some consider Morning Glory Bridge an alcove arch, others consider it a natural land bridge due to the trickle of water that dribbles down the side of the canyon and passes below the formation. This photo captures only a section of it.

Its size can't be comprehended without human figures for scale. Here some of us stand underneath; the base of the arch is on the far right.

Tim Smith, our chief guide, gave us an overview of the geological forces that created the arch.

When we started back, these eroded forms captured my eye. Giant beehives, anyone?

This picture captures the most difficult creek crossing. A tilted rock has formed a pool, and the level of the creek on the other side, still deep, is several feet lower. Negotiating the transition from bankside to the rock's edge is made trickier by an ill-placed boulder. Tim and Clint assisted everyone across, one at a time. Only one of us (besides the guides) got wet feet here.

By the time we passed over this ledge, the shadows had become much longer.

Our group then drove several miles further upstream along the Colorado, to the Red Cliffs Lodge. This extensive resort even has a small museum dedicated to the movies that have been filmed in or otherwise connected with Moab.

We unpacked in our spacious rooms, relaxed over dinner,

and made our choices for tomorrow, either rafting on the Colorado or a hike at Fisher Towers.