Natural Bridges, Utah

Daniel Lawrence Goddard turned 32 this week. He had one simple birthday request, to be warm. So away we went to the desert. Specifically we went to Bridges National Monument. Bridges is south of Monticello and towards Lake Powell. It is less known than its cousin Arches National Monument. Arches are rocks that have been carved out by wind and the elements to make an arch or hole in the rock. Bridges on the other hand are carved by water and span a creek or river. The three Bridges here are magnificent, spanning the creeks that formed them and surrounded by Indian ruins and cliff dwellings.

Dan’s birthday was a day of warm temperatures, light breezes and cerulean skies. We hiked through the park to the first two bridges. Half of the fun was the trail, you decend down slick rock with steps cut out in some of the steeper spots and the paths down the very steepest spots are aided by lodge pole ladders.


You hike right up to and under the bridges and climb up into the cliff dwellings. The trail is dotted with pictographs and rocks smoothed by the Ancients for grain grinding.









We camped in the park’s campground, a very nice spot with all the normal park amenities. It is a popular spot, filling up each night by 5:00. We reveled in removing the insulation from our windows, for the first time in months actual sunlight lit our camper. We made a birthday feast complete with Dutch Oven cobbler and reveled in preparing it outside. After dinner I let Dan beat me at chess, it was his birthday after all.

The next day was even warmer. We strutted about in our flip flops and shorts, applied sunscreen to body parts made translucent over the dark winter months and traded beanies for visors. We completed the trail to the third bridge, my personal favorite.


Along the way we stopped for lunch at a small waterfall and craned our necks in all directions in search of more ruins. This park is a great place to spend a few days. The hikes are beautiful and fun to try and follow.










Back in camp last night we sat in our camp chair and read books feverishly. After dinner Dan beat me at Scrabble, (not a good trend I see forming). I finished my book “Hell or High Water”, about the first decent of the Tsangpo river in Tibet. Now I am ready for boating season.

Tomorrow is “Reader/ Ad Clicker Appreciation Day”, back to snowboard boots and snow for a couple of days. Sure was nice to be warm, but Cat Skiing isn’t half bad either.

High water signs.