Tim's Travel Blog, Part 3

August 01, 2012

When camping in the wild, sundown is usually bedtime, so I tend to go to sleep and rise very early when out in nature. I was asleep early and up with the sun the next morning. This was Sunday, and my goal was to take the 1.5 mile hike up to the iconic Delicate Arch. This particular arch, located in Arches National Park, is the arch many people are familiar with, at least in pictures of Utah. It's even on the Utah license plate! It was a challenging hike...you go up, up, up for what seems like forever, and are rewarded with a breathtaking view, and the feeling that you made it...you made it to Delicate Arch! I sat here for a while...enjoying the total silence and the high desert air...right as the people who had risen a bit later than me were making their way up, and the place got crowded. It is truly a spectacular experience to be alone enjoying the grandeur of such a magnificent place. And anyone can do it. Just bring plenty of water and patience.

After my Delicate Arch excursion, I headed to the Needles section of Canyonlands. It was a dry, hot, and sunny Sunday afternoon, and it seemed I had this place all to myself. I spent some considerable time meditating, daydreaming, and enjoying the silence as I gazed at what is called Wooden Shoe Arch. On my way out of the park, I stopped at what is known as Newspaper Rock.  It's a giant wall of natural rock which is marked with graffiti and writings dating from prehistoric nomadic tribes all the way up through the 1960s when it was protected by the park services. I drove back to my modest campsite and enjoyed a brief meal of Oscar Meyer wieners (I ate four...I was hungry!) and potato chips. Nothing like staying healthy out in the splendor of nature. I went to sleep while the sun was still up and awoke at 5 the next morning and prepared myself for the trip to Vegas.

Tim P.
Smithville Branch