Alcove Hike

Southern Utah is famous for red rock canyons and towering cliffs. Descriptive words will never do this area justice. The massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink, and red soar into a brilliant blue sky. Long before today’s landscape even appeared, streams, oceans, deserts, and volcanoes deposited thousands of feet of mud, lime, sand, and ash across the area. The immense pressure and heat of accumulating sediments turned lower layers to stone. Later, underground forces uplifted the Colorado Plateau, a 130,000 square mile mass of rock, over 10,000 feet above sea level. Rain then worked into the minute cracks, loosening grains and widening fractures into today’s canyons.

 We hiked a lesser frequented trail to a double arch alcove. The hike ends at a wall of orange and red Navajo sandstone with black mineral stains looming above. Ground water seepage weakened and dissolved the cement between sandgrains, breaking down the sandstone.  Blocks of sandstone then fell from the arch, accumulating below it only to be carried away by wind and water forming a gigantic alcove we got to enjoy.

We both came away very impressed.