Arches National Park, V: Fiery Furnace

The Fiery Furnace is one of those clumps of fins, those long up-right rock features that sometimes erode away to become arches. Arches National Park has several such clumps, obviously, the most famous of which is the so-called Fiery Furnace. So-called because of its fiery appearance in certain sunsets, not because of any thermal properties. Anyhow, I signed up for a ranger-led hike in the Fiery Furnace Saturday. Vicki demurred since the hike involved a variety of scrambling moves that might well have over-taxed her artificial knee. I found the hike challenging, not because of any of the moves required, but because of my vestibular disability. But I did it, and I don't think anyone noticed I was doing it on a rocking and rolling vessel.

Google Earth view of the Fiery Furnace, 3 miles up; how do
those little cars get so high?

Ranger Glenn explains fins and arches, and salt domes, using
a sponge model; I've been going on NPS ranger hikes since
1970; scores of them, many scores; this was one of the best

A pot-hole arch, small

Another, larger

Another, small; in order to qualify, according to the NPS, a
span has to be at least 3 feet, admit light, and be natural

Looking up, occasionally

But mostly down, to see where you're going

Ranger-led hikes typically take you places you cannot or should
not go by yourself; and there's generally far more talk than
walk--in 3 and 1/2 hours we walked maybe a mile and 1/2--but
the talk is the great thing, something you'd not get any other
way

Nice double arch; alas, I don't recall many of the arches' names

A pot hole; it rained a few days back; but swimming in this
pot hole and others are tiny Fairy Shrimp; one of those
organisms that seems to survive almost anything; speaking
of which, check out Tardigrades...inter-galactic travelers?

Again, looking up

Executing the "slide on your butt" maneuver; we'd already done
some chimneying

Another medium-sized arch, the Kissing Turtles

Many readers have asked why I don't post more pictures of
coyote scat; OK, so here is some coyote scat

Erosion

More arches

Fin-land

One final arch, the best of them

Thus

Great place, great hike