We stopped halfway down the mountain to take in the wide view of Spanish Valley, Canyonlands, and the snow-peaked Henry Mountains in the distance. Then we turned around and the sun was just rising over the La Sals. We put finally on gloves when our fingers got frostbite cold.

There were so many places we had to stop and take in the views as we passed frozen waterfalls and scenic overlooks This type of trip was new to us. We had opted for riskier challenges in past years. This was an easy road and we knew we'd be able to take it again and see it anew.

There were no tracks in the new snow except those of wildlife. We stopped whenever we wanted to look. The snow sparkled in bright sun and the temperature was perfect. With a name like Sand Flats, we didn't expect steep canyon walls, frozen waterfalls, and switchbacks.

On Wednesday, the 6 1/2-hour drive to Moab had worn us out. Every year the trip seemed harder on us, so we opted for an easy road on Thursday. Sand Flats Road turned out to be a great choice. A sunrise after overnight snow on the mountains, and the drive was a 4-hour loop.

On our last day we decided to visit Arches, even though we'd seen it all so many times. We'd focus on the light with very little thought about the scenery. Remember how the golden hour was not much more than half an hour and it wasn't long before we were headed back to Moab.

With a few looks along the way as the sun rose through thick haze, we headed for Grand View Point in Canyonlands NP. We hadn't gone on such a long hike in years, but enjoyed every bit of it and got all the way to the highest point before turning around when back pain set in.