Marching Men (Utah)

The Marching Men is located in Arches National Park in the remote northwest section that was added to the park in 1971 when the boundaries of Arches National Monument were expanded and the monument changed to National Park status.[https://www.gutenberg.org/files/51116/51116-h/51116-h.htm The Geologic Story of Arches National Park], S. W. Lohman, US Government Printing Office, 1975,p. 6. Unofficial names for some of the seven towers include Cuddlebunny Tower, Time Tower, and North Marcher, although the National Park Service does acknowledge these names.Eric Bjørnstad, Desert Rock: Rock Climbs in the National Parks, Chockstone Press, 1996, {{ISBN|9781575400105}}. Topographic relief is modest as the summit of the highest, North Marcher, rises {{convert|300.|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} above surrounding terrain in {{convert|200.|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} laterally. Any scant precipitation runoff from Marching Men drains to the nearby Colorado River via Klondike Wash and Salt Valley Wash. The Marching Men area is accessed by a six-mile loop hike that starts at the Klondike Bluffs parking area, and also leads to Tower Arch.Bill Schneider, Hiking Utah: A Guide to Utah's Greatest Hiking Adventures, Rowman & Littlefield, 2022, {{ISBN|9781493056019}}, p. 221. This landform's descriptive toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.

The first ascent of the highest tower, North Marcher, was made by Leonard Coyne, Dennis Jackson, and Stewart Green in November 1979.[https://www.deserttowersbook.com/first-ascent-timeline First Ascent Timeline], deserttowersbook.com, Retrieved 2024-12-03.

Rock-climbing routes at the Marching Men:

• North Marcher - {{YDS|5.10+}} - FA Leonard Coyne, Dennis Jackson, Stewart Green - (1979)[https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105957278/north-marcher North Marcher], Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-12-03.
• Cuddlebunny Tower - class 5.11d - Charlie Fowler, Rob Slater, Geoff Tabin - (December 30, 1986)[https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105953404/cuddlebunny-tower-original-route Cuddlebunny Tower (Original Route)], Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-12-03.
• Time Tower - class 5.10 - Frank Nebbe, Renate Stockburger - (1987)[https://www.mountainproject.com/route/106974938/time-tower-false-start Time Tower (False Start)], Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-12-03.Eric Bjornstad, 1988 American Alpine Journal, The Mountaineers Books, {{ISBN|9781933056357}}, p. 140.
• Sand Hearse - class 5.11+ - Charlie Fowler, Jack Roberts - (April 23, 1987)[https://www.mountainproject.com/route/106974948/sand-hearse-original-route Sand Hearse (Original Route)], Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-12-03.
• The Bouquet - class 5.7 - Frank Nebbe, Renate Stockburger - (August 1987)[https://www.mountainproject.com/route/106975852/the-bouquet The Bouquet], Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-12-03.
• Hearse So Good - class 5.9+ - Fred Knapp, Jane Sears - (1991)[https://www.mountainproject.com/route/125346865/hearse-so-good Hearse So Good], Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-12-03.
• Time Marches On - class 8 - Leslie Henderson, Mike Baker - (1993)Eric Bjornstad, 1994 American Alpine Journal, The Mountaineers Books, {{ISBN|9781933056418}}, p. 143.

Rock climbing at Marching Men is strictly regulated, including temporary closure from March 1 through August 31 for raptor protection.[https://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/rockclimbing.htm Rock Climbing - Arches National Park], National Park Service, Retrieved 2024-12-03.

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Marching Men is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers.{{cite journal | author = Peel, M. C. |author2=Finlayson, B. L. |author3=McMahon, T. A. |name-list-style=amp | year = 2007 | title = Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification | journal = Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. | volume = 11 |issue=5 | pages = 1633–1644 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P |s2cid=9654551 | issn = 1027-5606|doi-access=free }} Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to experience Arches National Park, when highs average {{convert|60|to|80|F|round=5}} and lows average {{convert|30|to|50|F|round=5}}. Summer temperatures often exceed {{convert|100|F|round=5}}. Winters are cold, with highs averaging {{convert|30|to|50|F|round=5}}, and lows averaging {{convert|0|to|20|F|round=5}}. As part of a high desert region, it can experience wide daily temperature fluctuations. The park receives an average of less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain annually.

Like most of the arches and rock formations in the park, these spires are composed of Entrada Sandstone, specifically the Slick Rock Member.Stanley William Lohman, The Geologic Story of Arches National Park, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1975, p. 63. Because the sandstone is not uniformly cemented with calcium carbonate which is the binding material, chemical weathering and differential erosion has sculpted the iconic landforms of Arches National Park. These towers are the result of erosion and weathering that reduced vertical cross joints of a fin to rock pinnacles.Eugene P. Kiver, Geology of U.S. Parklands, John Wiley & Sons, 1999, {{ISBN|9780471332183}}, p. 509. The Marching Men terrain is similar to that of the Devils Garden area to the east, but the two areas are separated by the flat expanse of Salt Valley which was created by a collapsed salt anticline.Geologic characterization report for the Paradox basin study region, Utah study areas, Vol. 6, Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation, Battelle Project Management Division, 1982, p. 22.

• Geology of Utah

{{reflist}}

• Marching Men Rock Climbing: [https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105953392/the-marching-men Mountainproject.com]
• Arches National Park: [https://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm National Park Service]
• Marching Men: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/7934164@N02/9710331815/ Flickr (photo)]

{{Geographic Location 2

| Center = Marching Men

| North = Klondike Bluffs

| Northeast = Dark Angel

| East = Devils Garden

| Southeast = Salt Valley

| South = Utahraptor State Park

| Southwest = Klondike Wash

| West = Little Valley

| Northwest = Tower Arch

}}

{{Portal bar|Geography|Geology|Utah}}

Category:Landforms of Grand County, Utah

Category:Colorado Plateau

Category:Arches National Park

Category:One-thousanders of the United States

Category:Rock formations of Utah

Category:Climbing areas of Utah