Arches and Desert Bighorn Sheep

I just spent three days in and around the Canyonlands National Park area. On my last morning, there was one more hike I wanted to take before heading home. It leads to two massive arches, Corona Arch and Bowtie Arch. Online travel guides list it as a "2.3 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail". 

However, on a crisp, late January day other hikers were sparse. I did get to see those magnificent arches. But at the end of my trek I also encountered eight desert bighorn sheep; one ram, seven ewes. The group was both nibbling on undergrowth and watching me carefully.

I was fascinated by them and how relatively close they allowed me to be. At one point, four of them had had enough and they sprinted away, across VERY steep terrain. But just far enough away to again feel safe. So I must have spent 45 minutes just watching them.

Today, in editing my many shots of them, there were just too many that I couldn't leave out! So this post is weighted far more on the bighorns than the arches.