DAY 11...CONTINUED

As the sun started to dip down, we headed off to the "Windows" section of Arches NP. This area consists of some amazing arches- Double Arch (pictured above), The North and South Windows, and Turret Arch. All within close walking distance. We started off by heading toward Double Arch. The thing was absolutely massive....

As we were walking up to the arch, we were passed by a chap with white shorts and glasses. He seemed friendly enough, and I watched as he climbed up to the spot where Charmaine and I took the shots above. There was, however, a higher ledge to the left of the photo, and there was another guy on the ledge already. Well, sportsfan (as I shall now refer to him) decided he wanted to join this other guy on the ledge, which he was able to accomplish. He took several cheesy pix of himself, posing as if he were He-Man with his arms folded.
We came down and started to walk back over to Turret Arch for the sunset. Sportsfan had managed to drop down from where he was, and he headed for a precarious rock outcropping...one that I looked at and immediately said "no way". Well, sportfan made it up there, and stood on the rock, posing as his dad (who now managed to catch up to him on the trail) snapped away. The ledge to this outcropping was about 9-10 feet off the ground, which fell away from the "landing spot" (If you were to jump down) at almost a 35 degree angle...quite steep.
Sportsfan started to edge his way down...on his ass. Rocks fell around him, and his dad said, "you okay?" Sportsfan replied he was good, and I turned away briefly. I heard him take the jump, and turned as he landed on the rock slope...unfortunately, Sportsfan now had two options: fall flat on his ass and break his coccyx, or hit the ground literally running, and hope he could "run out" his speed and emerge unscathed. He chose option two, and started running like a madman, with a look of terror and panic on his face. Only one problem with him plan....a large boulder stood in his way. At a full sprint, sportsfan plowed into the boulder, twisting his ankle, smashing his knee into the rock, and absorbing the impact with both his arms and torso...with a resounding THUD. After checking on him (and he was in obvious pain) and watching a spot of blood spread rapidly across his knee, he advised he was "good", and aside from hurting a lot, he was able to walk.
*Sigh*. Nice job, Sportsfan. Next time, you have to learn a little about climbing slickrock: It's easier to climb up than it is to get down. Don't do stupid shit.

The sun was setting when we made it to the window arch, and we climbed up the short footpath and took a few shots as the moon came up and the sun went down.

After hanging out for a few, we started back down the path, and Charmaine heard a sound that she first thought was coming from my camera case. As we stopped dead in our tracks and listened, we could tell it was the rattle of a rattlesnake. With goosebumps on my arm, I scanned the area and spotted this fella hiding by a rock...only inches from where Charmaine had just been walking!

He's hard to see, but if you look toward the center and a bit left of the picture's center, you'll see the snake right near the brush. Close call!!!
With enough excitement under our belts for the night, we headed back to camp and settled down for our last night in Arches.