Skip to main content

Day 44 - Arches

A friend asked me before I left on this trip "What do you look forward to most... What do you dream about?"  I responded "Arches."  Specifically, I dreamed about standing in front of the Delicate Arch, a sensually curving arch famous in all Arches photos. Today my dream came true-- and it was freaking amazing:)

I arrived to Moab, Utah just outside Arches Park at 3pm. The main campground was sold out, so I drove to one of the many BLM (Bureau of Land Management) run paid campgrounds and secured a lovely spot with views of the white capped La Sal mountains.  Then I drove to Arches.

Everything in Arches was on my list basically, so I stopped by each place in succession with a plan to hike the 1.5 miles to Delciate Arch around 630pm. My self written instructions said specifically "go to Delicate Arch for sunset". 

First stop was towering red thin rock faces called Park Avenue for their grandeur. Then Balanced Rock, named for its boulder set high atop a narrow neck rock. Then Windows, a pair of large Arches easily accessed. Then Double Arch, formed by a rockfall between two big arches. Pics of park avenue, windows and double arches. Walking under the arches was my favorite part of the experience. The shadow and shade below seemed to increase their magnificence two-fold. 




Now to Delicate Arch and my dream. The hike up was awesome. You climb up a steep slick rock hill for a mile and then enter a far valley with strange rock formations extending into the horizon. Quickly you felt alone. You then hiked along a flat but narrow ridge around a cliff and you begin to hear voices when bam-- there it is... Delicate Arch. 

The remote, Jurassic setting around a curving bowl with the Arch proud and alert in one corner, craggy peaks on another side, the white-capped La Sal Mountains in the distance behind, and a large grouping of amateur photographers setup on the opposite end, all hoping to replicate the classic photo of the Arch lit by a setting sunlight with the La Sal moutains in the background. I walked around, behind and through the Arch in search of adventurous pleasure but also the best angle for photos. I thought the typical angle was boring and eventually took up residence halfway to the Arch and sat for hours-- great dreamy hours. Pics from the light-hitting-the-arch moment. 






Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 51 - Canyonlands Needles Pt 3

A deep connection to the nature surrounding you comes from the solitude of solo travel, but sometimes it is nice to have a companion!  I ran into David, a retired telecom exec from Canada a few days ago on the Syncline Loop trail at Canyonlands Island in the Sky. Then I ran into him again halfway through my Chesler Park hike two days ago, then again later in the hike, finishing the last two miles together.  David hiked his favorite trail, the Peekaboo trail yesterday, and said I could join him, but my heart was set on confluence trail, so we hiked separately. We did share a campsite though and exchanged travel stories. David was 55 and had retired at 50 from a high-level international job with Nortel and was now traveling full-time. We instantly bonded over our solo travel style. He outclassed me by leagues. He had trekked one month in Nepal, then another month in India, then some months in Asia. He had hiked and skied and adventured all over the western U.S.  and Canada....
1 comment
Read more

Day 40 Escalante Hole-in-the-Rock Road

I woke up late following a lovely slumber in a REAL bed-- such a luxury. I stayed in bed reading my maps and guidebooks, trying to put a plan together for the next months travels. I decided I would spend two more weeks in Utah and add on two weeks in western Colorado instead of spending all four weeks in Utah-- I was starting to tire of the desert and Colorado seemed like a good mix of backcountry beauty and civilization proper.  The last must do in Escalante was Coyote Gulch, so I read and reread the route description in my guidebook and went to the visitor center to get my permit. I was going to do a loop down Hurricane Wash to Coyote Gulch to the Escalante River and then up Crack-in-the-Wall overland back to my car. Permit in hand, I lingered by the Outfitters wifi emailing and blogging and then drove out Hole-in-the-rock road forty miles to my trailhead. The road was dirt but well graded in most parts. A high-clearance vehicle was recommended for the last five miles but my Dodg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Days 89 and 90 - Waterton

I started my journey north to Canada today. My plan was to head to Waterton Lakes, just north of Glacier, then to Calgary, then the Canadian Rockies parks of Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Glacier and a few others, then to Vancouver and finally to Seattle, all over the next several weeks. But first I needed the Internet!  I drove south out of Many Glacier to a place I remembered having cell reception.  I did some emailing and calling back home, did some research for my Canada trip and watched the final three episodes of Game of Thrones--wow, the final two episodes were sensational. This rainy, dreary day was perfect for such activities. I then drove into Canada late in the evening and to a campground set in the cloudy mountains at Waterton.  The weather cleared a bit the next day and I was able to do some hiking around this scenic alpine lakes district.  Waterton Lakes district from a high hill called Bear's Hump: The chipmunks at Bear's Bump were very interested in the conten...
Post a Comment
Read more