{"id":10645,"date":"2017-11-03T00:24:14","date_gmt":"2017-11-03T04:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tusentakk2.com\/wordpress\/?p=10645"},"modified":"2017-11-03T01:35:45","modified_gmt":"2017-11-03T05:35:45","slug":"more-time-with-friends-lake-powell-october-17-27-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/tusentakk2.com\/wordpress\/2017\/11\/more-time-with-friends-lake-powell-october-17-27-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"More Time With Friends — Lake Powell & Grand Canyon North Rim; October 17-27, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

The gang of six got settled into the Wahweap RV & Campground <\/strong>on October 17, and took the pontoon boat out onto Lake Powell the next day.  The day was mostly sunny, but fairly cool.  Our destination was Rainbow Bridge.<\/p>\n

From Wikipedia:<\/p>\n

A natural arch<\/b>, or natural bridge<\/b> is a natural rock formation where an arch has formed with an opening underneath. Natural arches are formed from narrow fins composed of sandstone or limestone with steep, often vertical, cliff faces. The formations become narrower due to erosion over geologic time scales. The softer rock stratum erodes away creating rock shelters, or alcoves, on opposite sides of the formation beneath the relatively harder caprock, above it. The alcoves erode further into the formation eventually meeting underneath the harder caprock layer, thus creating an arch.  The caprock itself continues to erode after an arch has formed, which will ultimately lead to collapse. The Natural Arch and Bridge Society identifies a bridge as a subtype of arch that is primarily water-formed.  [Indeed.  Bill & Colleen report that a number of years ago they were able to boat all the way up to and directly under the bridge.  Today, because of receding lake depth, there is a significant hike from the Park wharf to the bridge.  CTS ]<\/span><\/p>\n

Rainbow Bridge<\/b> is often described as the world’s highest natural bridge. The span of Rainbow Bridge was reported in 1974 to be 275 feet, but a laser measurement in 2007 has resulted in a span of 234 feet. <\/span>At the top it is 42 feet thick and 33 feet wide. The bridge, which is of cultural importance to a number of area Native American tribes, has been designated a Traditional Cultural Property by the National Park Service.<\/p>\n

Rainbow Bridge is one of the most accessible of the large arches of the world. It can be reached by a three-hour boat ride on Lake Powell [which is what we did]<\/span> followed by a mile-long walk [not really that long]<\/span> from the National Park wharf in Bridge Canyon, or by hiking several days overland from a trailhead on the south side of Lake Powell (obtain a permit from the Navajo Nation in Window Rock, Arizona).<\/p>\n\n\t\t