Walking Park Avenue at Arches National Park

Monday, September 1, 2014

First some music at Swanny City Park, Moab

http://moabmusicfest.org/calendar/rocky-mountain-power-free-family-picnic-concert

Then a walk through Park Avenue @ Arches National Park 

http://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm

Park Avenue, about 2 miles from the Visitors Center, contains only a few small arches today, although evidence suggests that major arches may have formed here in the past. 

As underlying salt deposits dissolve, the sandstone collapsed and weathered into a maze of vertical rock slabs called "fins".  This particular "fin" reminded early visitors of the New York City skyline, hence the name "Park Avenue."

                 View of canyon floor          
The trail that we walked was once a riverbed.        It was worn smooth from water erosion.

                   The base of sediment on the left is the support for the harder rock on top.

                                                     Note three distinct layers of rock.