Fiery Furnace...

Our last post was about our last hike but lets go back a week or so for another great and beautiful "stroll" through the "slickrock" and fins in an area that you need a permit or go with a guide. Not sure of the length, but it takes about 3 1/2 hours to get through, that is if you can find your way out. This is what we had to look forward to when we entered the maze called the Fiery Furnace.


We got this off the web where someone tried to use a GPS to show the route and side trails around the Fiery Furnace. We think this is a Google Earth shot of a small portion of this area of the park.

A nice wide portion of the trail at the start with a group of about 25 people we ended up with. Looks easy, but don't be fooled as it's only the start. Don't look back because you will never find your way out now.

A side trip to view another area with pools still with water in them. The animals still find their way to this area. It's a dead-end except back through this arch but if you look close there is another way out...

and this is Dick taking the "other way out". A little tight but he and a few others made it through. Jackie went out the same way she came in, a lot easier. A little out of focus but you get the picture. Yes, that's a play on words.

Up over the slickrock and down around that narrow tall fin, hoping today's not the day it tips over. Great bunch of people to hike with, everyone helping each other through the tight and hard spots.

This one gives you some idea of the height of these fins and why one can get lost so easily in here. One of the few spots where the sun gets down to the ground:

This is one of about 3 arches that we got to view; some of these weren't found until several years ago. This place is just so big.

Another side trip to the base of a waterfall dropping into a dry wash. Glad it's not raining in the area today or we would be getting real wet. The partial cave behind Jackie is just an area that has been washed out of the rock during all the floods.

There is no other way out from here except the way we came in unless you want to try and

climb the sheer rock face. Not for us.

The finger at the top was Dick trying to shut out the glare from the sun so we can show you how it's starting to get pretty narrow. Yes, we do have to go through that very tight slot and what you don't see is there is a very steep hill to climb at the same time.

Another side trip and another Arch. This one is called Surprise Arch. It was named when some people were out researching the area and one person went up this narrow slot, found the arch and called back to his friends "come up here because I have a big surprise for you".

With the help of our guide we finally headed down through another slot around more fins and finally found our way out.

We took over 1,200 pictures in the two months we spent at Arches but we finally hit the road on April 29th and spent the first day back on the road at Page Arizona and then three nights in Hurricane Utah on our way to the big city of Las Vegas for 2 weeks. We arrived Las Vegas on Monday the 3rd of May.

Our friend Kathy asked "It looked a little tricky, where were the trail signs? how did you know which ridge to go over? Or was it the well worn path of many other hikers?"

No signs but the Park Service has placed "cairns" (piles of rocks) to mark the trail if you can find them. They are on most trails at Arches except there is nothing at Fiery Furnace so you better go with a guide.

Not sure where the wind will blow us after that, but be sure we will have a great time.

To be continued...