Arches: Windows Loop...Turrent Arch and Primitive Loop

Distance: 1.2 mile loop
Elevation: 5,160 ft - 5,275 ft
Elevation Gain: 170 ft cumulative elevation gain
Date Hiked: 27 April 2012
Bathroom at the Trailhead: Yes
Water at the Trailhead: No
Dogs: Not allowed

The North and South Windows, an extremely popular destination in the park.  From this distance they look almost diminutive.  Follow on pictures will give you a better sense of their immensity.

The Windows Loop in Arches National Park is a great way to get up close and personal with several arches.  By up close I mean you can walk right up into the arch and gaze upwards at the span.  The first part of the loop is more "landscaped" with easy steps and gravel paths.  You can visit Turret Arch via a short spur trail and then head back to the Windows, which is a term used to describe two arches (North or South Windows) that exist side by side. The Primitive Trail is a more moderate trail that travels around the back side of the formation. Even casual hikers can navigate this trail safely and it provides unique views of the formation plus expansive views of the surrounding desert. 

The trailhead with the easily navigated gravel path.  The sun was too low in the sky to photograph this area well. 

Stone steps up to Turret Arch

The crowd of children around the area are just out of frame.

Looking across to the North Window from the Turret Arch Trail.  Note how the people are standing beneath its span.

Be forewarned!  The Windows section of the park is very popular so it will be mobbed with people. Compared with some of the descriptions I have read elsewhere on the Internet, my visit, however was relatively peaceful.  There WAS an entire group of school children with a teacher screaming out instructions sitting all over the approach to Turret Arch but I was able to take a picture and quickly escape them.  For the rest of my journey,  I could walk about in peace.  I was there around 8 o'clock in the morning however. 

Gazing out into the desert from Turret Arch

The typical National Park-like trail that heads from Turret Arch over to the Windows

The segment leading up to the North Window

The South Window.  There is a fellow photographer in the lower left corner.  He is dwarfed by the rocks towering above him. 

The Windows themselves are very large and having a mob of people standing under them certainly allows you to get a sense of their scale. The North Window  is 90 ft x 48 ft while the South Window is 115 ft x 56 ft. You can walk right under the North Window but you would have to make a dangerous climb to get into the South Window.  This is not recommended unless your spouse recently took out a multimillion dollar insurance policy on you.

The backside of the formation viewed from the Primitive Trail

A typical segment on the Primitive Trail.  Note the cairn and wind washed rock. 

Some of the more interesting formation one can see on the Primitive Trail

Deep canyons and an impossibly all-embracing sky dominate the view to east of the Windows.  Don't wander off now!

A warren of short trails lead all over the area so you can wander about and gaze at the arches from multiple angles.  The Primitive Loop starts near the South Window and in marked by stone borders on either side.  You might guess correctly that for me this was the best part of the trail.  The Primitive Trail wanders through sand, across wind blown slickrock, and climbs up a short escarpment.  The views to the east are expansive and even though there is no water at this trailhead you can't help but feel like you are in an oasis amidst a profoundly silent and profoundly massive desert.  I would hate to be lost out there.

Looking back down the one small shelf you have to scale

After the shelf, the route travels between two rock formations

Coming around the north side of the formation.  Double Arch is behind the large formation straight ahead and the parking lot is off to the left down and around the bend.

Despite its reputation for crowds, the Windows Loop is a great introduction to the park and could easily serve as an hors d'oeurvre to the longer and more truly secluded Devil's Garden/Primitive Loop.  Taken at the right time of day, you may even have the place to yourself. Be sure to visit Double Arch, right across the parking area.

The final stretch is a sandy stroll to the parking lot.  See the large tour bus in the distance.  Time to head out!

Without seeing the underside of this lizard, it is impossible to tell if it is a Plateau Lizard (Sceloporus tristichus ) or a Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus gracious).  This will not be my last encounter with these sun loving creatures.

Plateau Lizard

A pair of Plateau Lizards on the side of a B&B in Paradox Valley

It is not everyday that you can bust in on a couple of Plateau Lizards in flagrante delicti. I don't think they were too happy about my Paparazza voyeurism but they were too self-absorbed to break off their assignation to scurry under a rock.

The Plateau Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus) is diurnal, spending most of its time basking in the sun. It consumes large amounts of insects and spiders. After mating in the spring the female will lay up to 12 eggs in early summer. The young hatch in the fall.

I have seen these lizards called the Eastern Fence (subsp), Prairie, or Plateau Lizard. To the untrained eye, they all look very similar. Growing up in California, we had the Western Fence Lizard, which was know locally as "blue bellies".

Am I being anthropomorphic, but does the female have a bit of a gazed look in her eye, or is it just resignation?

The blue scales underneath the male's belly and near its throat are undoubtedly attractive to the opposite sex. When courting, these lizards will lift up on their legs to flash their blue scales. As with most species the girls like their boys flashy.

Rabbit's Ear Trail

Distance: 5 miles round trip (out and back to the overlook), 6 miles round trip (if you do the loop)
Elevation: 5,000 ft -5,700 ft
Elevation Gain: 700 ft (net), 1,347 ft (cumulative)
Dogs: Off leash
Date Hiked: 26 May 2011
Bathroom at Trailhead: No

The skeleton of a Utah Juniper stands guard over the vista of the Colorado River on the Rabbit's Ear Trail

The Rabbit's Ear Trail near Fruita, CO and the Utah border is a semi-desert hike to a river vista that will make you drop your jaw and find a rock and gaze stupefied into the distance. Not as easy as it looks, the route travels up and down humps of a ridge until it reaches a plateau 700 ft above the trailhead. From this point on, the trail is flat and the going is soft and easy.

The trailhead with its kiosk

An early trail segment with a smooth path and Sagebrush in the distance

Rabbit's Ear is part of the Rabbit Valley Recreation Area located at exit 2 on I-70 near the Utah border. While the main trails of Rabbit Valley can be filled with ATVers, Rabbit's Ear, 4 miles back west up a dirt road, is for hikers only. We had the entire place to ourselves.

Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) dots the landscape as clouds hang over the distant western plateaus.

Looking west into Utah. That is I-70 in the distance.

The terrain is rocky with occasional Utah Junipers, tufts of grass, Yellow Rabbitbrush, clumps of the unusual Mormon Tea, and since we did this hike in May, the occasional wildflower.

Desert Paintbrush (Castilleja angustifolia variety dubia) likes hot, dry, sandy soils. It blooms in the desert in early spring. Don't confuse it with Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja miniata), which is found in more alpine settings.

A glimpse of the long ridge ahead. Our destination is the lump on the far right.

The Rabbit's Ear Mesa, whose shape gives the area its name, overlooks the Colorado River as it winds its way through several canyon systems. The sedimentary striations of long lost sand dunes are clearly visible from the trails many vista points. To the east the Book Cliffs and Grand Mesa can be seen in the haze.

Ginger enters the slot canyon at 1.0 miles

The trail traverses both rock and dirt as it climbs steadily higher.

I found myself stopping frequently on this trail. Not only were there numerous critters, plants, and vistas to photograph, but this was the first hike of the season after being laid up all winter with a foot injury and I was sucking wind more than I would like to admit.

Another trail segment heading up through Utah Juniper

A steeper segment

Some mileage points to guide your journey include a small slot canyon at 1 mile, the final stretch to the top of the mesa at 1.36 miles, and 2.3 miles to the best views. The trail does continue around in wide circle past our stopping point but we were doing this in the heat of the day and decided not to take the longer route back (6 miles round trip versus 5 miles round trip). As it was this trail was rougher than I should have been doing first time out of the gate.

Looking down on the Colorado River and colorful rocks of ancient sand dunes

There were several specimens of the Claret Cup Cactus (Echinocereus uspenskii) blooming along the trail. It typically grows in clumps in rocky open areas between 4,000 and 9,000 ft.

At our stopping point, one is gazing down into Ruby Canyon, which has resulted in this trail to be called the Ruby Canyon Overlook in several prominent hiking guides. In the distance is the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Area and the entrance to Mee Canyon. Further away are Utah's Le Sal Mountains with their snowy peaks and the broad expanse of the Uncompahgre Plateau, which we planned to drive around the following day.

The view to die for. The Colorado River as it winds through Ruby Canyon on the way to Utah. Tiny rafts dot the river. The snowy peaks of the La Sal Mountains in Utah are visible in the distance.

Heading back down at the edge of the mesa

We could see several large rafts floating serenely down the river. I couldn't help but wonder what the canyon looked like from that level. Certainly, the towering walls must have been majestic indeed.

A photo of rocks, lichens, and a rail tunnel in the distance

A close up of what looks like the Red Crust Lichen (Caloplaca trachyphylla). Lichens are actually two organisms. A fungi and an algae living together in a symbiotic relationship. The algae provides food and the fungi provides the home. They are common throughout Colorado. The Egg Yolk Lichen is another favorite.

There are two common lizards on the western slope that can be hard to tell apart. The Plateau Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus) and the Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus graciosus). If I had to guess, I would say the former. These lizards feed on insects, primarily grasshoppers, moths, crickets etc.

If you are in the Grand Junction Area and are looking for a short hike with major payoffs, this hike if for you. Just bring plenty of water and be prepared for changing weather conditions. This is snake country as well, so look before you sit or place your hands on any rocks. We did not see any snakes, but the lizards were out in force, so I know the snakes were out there too.

A close up of Mormon Tea (Ephedra nevadensis). This unusual plant has long, jointed needles. It is highly prized for various medicinal properties.

A parting shot of the river and desert beyond