Alternative Break: Coe College Day 5

WOW! If I could describe this day in one word it would be WOW! I have been to Arches National Park a few times before, but it never ceases to amaze me. Today was the PERFECT day to go hiking. The sky was bright blue with a few clouds and made an excellent backdrop for the red rock.

Our first stop in Arches National Park was Fiery Furnace. This is a unique experience because there are no marked trails. Throughout our hike we had to use our bodies to get up a crack in the rock, between two large rock faces, and jump across small openings. Nothing was too difficult for anyone to handle, but it did challenge us. Some of the obstacles looked a little scary at first and they may have been hard at the time, but once we were done we were very proud of what we had accomplished individually and as a group. Everyone in the group showed a lot of courage and that they were team players. I remember hearing "you can do it" and "good job" or "well done" quite a bit. It was an excellent experience!

Our second stop in Arches National Park was at The Windows. On this trail we were able to see large areas of the park and three different arches. We were even able to get to a place where we could take a picture of an arch inside an arch! It was a lot of fun climbing up inside the huge arch and sitting down to take in everything around us. It's an experience that those postcards just can't convey.

Our third (and final stop) was Double Arch. This arch was unique because it formed something similar to a V with two arches joining each other. Many of us ended up hiking and climbing all the way up to sit under the arch. Sitting under that arch and taking in the scenery was a great way to end the day!

After we got back into town the Coe College students were dropped off in one of the main shopping areas so that they could get some things to bring back home as presents or for themselves. I even got help by picking everyone up from the grocery store. With a lot of sun and a full day of hiking everyone seemed quite tired. Even our two guys who had boundless energy the entire trip were ready for some rest and relaxation.

Signing Off...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer - Minnesota State University Mankato