Delicate Arch (Arches National Park, Utah)

 

I arrived at Arches National Park, my primary destination for Memorial Day weekend, late yesterday afternoon, but there was a long line to get into the park. Instead of waiting in line, I decided to head into the nearby town of Moab, UT and check out the local brewpub. The beer was cold and they had a couple of brews that weren't bad, but more importantly it delayed me enough to get back to the park just as the lines were dying out. I set up camp and crashed for the evening after a long drive.

Awaking early as I normally do when tent camping or backpacking, I decided to head up to the iconic Delicate Arch to see the sunrise. This most famous of arches is the symbol of Arches National Park and of the state of Utah itself, even appear on the state's license plates.

As I arrived at the trail head parking lot, I was glad to see that only a couple of other cars were there. I headed out in the pre-dawn light thinking that I wouldn't need to compete with the crowds so badly this early. My hunch turned out to be correct. The trail winds around a preserved cabin and corral from one of the early settlers of the area, before heading into the sandstone desert. Twisting and turning through the rolling desert hills, I finally reach a mountainous sloped piece of red sandstone. Specifically placed cairns indicate the trail leads up this slope and beyond. The uphill is a little rough, but I wanted to get some good exercise today anyway.

Continuing to struggle slightly to stay on the trail, as it is easy to loose in this landscape, I eventually reach a sign indicating the proper direction to the base of the arch. The trail now skirts alongside red cliffs, as the sun begins to come up over the horizon. Then finally, I see it - the might Delicate Arch. The feature stands about 70-feet tall and has the general shape of a the lower half a ancient samurai in the hanmi stance, ready to strike.

There are few others here relaxing on the curved sandstone cliff just above and behind the arch. Everyone is admiring the first rays of the morning sun as they bring Delicate Arch to its full color potential. The reds and oranges are amazing.

After a short time taking in all this spectacle, I decide to head back for the trail head, but not before taking a very short side trail to see a petroglyph panel created by the Ute Nation somewhere between 350 and 150 years ago. Luckily, the panel has been well preserved and the carelessness of the modern hasn't made left any marks on the preserved artwork. In total, the hike was only about 3.2 miles, but it was the first of several I would do today.