Sam & Jock - the day is young & we're ready to roll
Mike, Jock, Alison, & Sam on top of some of the neverending slickrock
Sam enjoying the view
Jock, Sam, Alison, & Mike ready to start again after a short rest
Surrounded by a maze of slickrock
Alison & Jock climbing up a crack
Looking back down from the top of the crack
Don't step on the cactus
An assembly of pricky pear
Mike & Alison route-finding
Sam & Jock still feeling chirper
Tear Drop Arch as seen while scrambling down the long mini-ravine to its base
Reflected light illuminating the arch buttresses just before noon.
Marc reflected in the pool below the arch while taking a photo
Alison, Mike, & Jock at our first turn around point above a canyon narrows
The canyon narrows found just beyond Tear Drop Arch
Looking back at the sea of sandstone near Tear Drop Arch
The fin containing the arch is bottom left
Alison, Sam, & Jock stand dumbfounded that Mike has convinced them to look for the Northwest Passage to the Orient
Marc as he began to bleach in the sun
Jock & Mike studying Mike's aerials from Google Earth ("There must be a connector to the Moab Rim-Hidden Valley Trail somewhere")
Another domed stadium to be circumvented on the mesa top
Alison praying that Mike will find the way back to where we parked.
When in doubt, Mike always picks the high way. Jock dutifully climbs upward as Alison snaps a picture of his effort.
You know, maybe this isn't the way through to Hidden Valley (or China, for that matter).
The speck that is Sam heads back down the fin toward the distant river.
Our final rest stop out of the sunlight on the way back
There's life in the desert. Maybe we'll make it after all.
Devin & Sue evidently both claim this petroglyph near trail's end. There were others, but Marc was too tired to photograph them. Enjoy them on next month's hike!
The entrance to Hunter Canyon showing signs of spring
Lavender wildflowers cling to a seep in the sandstone walls
More of the same in a second seep
Hunter Arch (right) on the way to Curious Arch
Judi & Mike camouflaged by a cottonwood tree
One of the many canyon pools reflecting the sandstone walls
Curious Arch as seen from the canyon bottom just as the canyon turns sharply left.
Second photo of Curious Arch
Zooming in on Curious Arch
Judi animatedly tells Mike how much she loved "The Phantom of the Opera" on stage.
A better view of Hunter Arch on our way back to the trail head
Unidentified arch in side canyon to the right of the trail to Tear Drop Arch
Zoomed shot of arch taken from slickrock on opposite side of the canyon
Jock & Mike climbing between & over fins on the east side of Tear Drop Arch
Cropped version of the previous photo
The top of Tear Drop Arch looking westward
Three-toed dinosaur print on blackish boulder near Tear Drop Arch
Second dinosaur footprint near the first one
At lunch time, Jock & Mike grimly realize that much serious hiking lies ahead trying to get over to the Moab Rim Trail.
A tree camouflages the entrance to the narrow passageway that Mike, Jock, & Marc bushwacked through to get around a fin blocking access to the Moab Rim trail.
Early blooming Indian Paintbrush along the way
After walking up & over more slickrock, we came upon this view toward Hidden Valley (top right).
Jock descending to the Moab Rim trail (you can faintly see 4WD vehicles on the trail at the base of the slickrock).
A view of the LaSal Mts. from the Moab Rim trail
Another view of the LaSals (it had snowed in the mountains a few days earlier)
Jock & Mike trudging down the trail toward more overlooks
It being the first weekend of Jeep Safari, the three foot soldiers shared the trail with vehicles using a bit more horsepower.
Jock showing off some mighty fine shins to Jeep Safari participants
A well-trussed up red Jeep Rubicon at the head of the parade
Overlooking Moab from the rim
Looking toward the Colorado River & Potash Rd. coming down the Moab Rim trail
A burst of color from Indian Paintbush near the end of the trail
