The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
~Song of Solomon 2:8
SPRING BREAK! “Clear your schedule and make no other commitments and be ready for a Moab, Utah vacation!” I am lucky, I know, to spend three adventure filled days with my 2 college kids. To plan a trip with this intrepid group one must: be organized (pack gear for all possible conditions and sports), fill days with action packed activities, and be in shape because no matter what you will always be behind the pack.
The very famous and true icon of the state of Utah is the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. Who knew? This is a must do at sunset, a very cute and helpful ranger at the information center told us, AND to use the sunset rule (get there 1/2 hour before the scheduled sunset time), AND it is VERY popular. After hiking the 1 1/2 mile jaunt to this incredible natural geologic masterpiece, my family took on the area in a very different way.
1. Climbing the prominent ridge across from the arch and of course taking the giant leap over a deep crack.
2. Sprinting… and I mean literally full on sprinting to the center of the arch to get that quick photo.
3. Oh and of course they just had to sprint back on the steep, slippery surface.
4. Shortly after that, 2 photographers dropped a lens cap and water bottle off the steep, slippery ledge and my son just had to sprint back down to the bottom gully to retrieve these precious items. I could hear whispers surround me as I sat quietly dumb struck “Where are the parents?” My stomach was in my throat, so much so, I forgot to video or take a photo of this crazy move. HA!
Running to climb the ridge.
View from the top of the ridge across from the arch’s traditional view (note the assembly of people). BTW: We highly recommend taking the time to hike this ridge!
A few more interesting views of Delicate Arch…
Gotta see it from below. Love the moon!
Amazingly enough I really thought the arch was much smaller than it actually is. Once again, ya just gotta experience nature first hand and get OUT of the car!
I will leave with the traditional view…
Arches National Park… A perfect playground! More details from this Moab trip upcoming…
Those are absolutely beautiful pictures. I wish I had been there to watch the kids run. I know exactly where they were as I had been there, amazing. Can’t say that very often. So glad you had this time together to make memories.
To be honest I closed my eyes for part of the race! I am quite sure that the hikers that day will never forget their 2011 visit to Delicate.
GREAT photos and writing, Christy! Sounds like you had a blast! I love Arches, it is a very special place to me, to my soul. Delicate is almost a religious spot to me. I usually stop there for a hike now, but spend most of my time in Canyonlands–Needles. I love the long hikes and varied terrain, and fewer people. The campground is great, too, but you can camp just outside the park on BLM lands and can have silent alone time, unless you are there right around Easter. I love your spirit!
NOW I know who should have been our tour guide! We visited Island of the Sky in Canyonlands, but now I want to hike the Needles district! AND even more I want to backpack in Capitol Reef National Park. Do you have ideas for that area? Thank you for commenting and stopping by!