Wind, water and gravity are the main components of  erosion and the effects of erosion were everywhere today in the Arches National Park where we spent the entire day driving and walking to view various sites including: Park Avenue, Balancing Rock, Garden of Eden, Cove of Caves and eight or so arches.  At last count, there were more than 2,500 arches in Arches National Park.  To qualify as an official "arch", the rock must have an opening of at least 3 feet in length in any direction.  There is no requirement for width; quite a lot of the arches in this Park are so skinny you'd have to place your cheek against the rock to see any light through it.  Some arches are given the name "window".  Window is a descriptive term that is often given to rock openings high on a rock wall or fin.

Arch, bridge, window or hoodoo, spire, tower--these are descriptive names given to sandstone formations visible in this and other Parks located in the southwest.

"Park Avenue" is an example of a fin type formation

Balancing Rock is on the right

This is a double arch; it has three openings in the same rock.

North Window

South Window

Tunnel Arch

After spending 6 or 7 hours at Arches, we headed north and then east into Colorado.  The landscape became flatter and less colorful almost immediately with high bluffs and mountains in the distance.  We were treated to a few lightning displays as we traveled east and could see the sheeting effect you can see when it is raining some distance away.  Tomorrow we plan a less demanding day and should be in Longmont some time toward the end of this upcoming week.

Happy Labor Day everyone!!