On October 1st we enjoyed our outdoor breakfast,
keeping one eye on the evolving sunrise.
This was an unrecognized harbinger of how photogenic today was to be; I've decided to split today's pictures into two posts.
Soon our group headed for Arches National Park. So did many others.
Even in October it was going to be hot. We started with the longest walk, a 3-mile round trip, to Delicate Arch, one of the most popular and most photographed arches in the American southwest.
The route is open to the sun, and visitors are admonished to be prepared.
Almost immediately the trail passed by the John Wolfe cabin. John moved to this spot from Etna, Ohio -- just east of where Joan and I live -- at age 69 seeking relief from a Civil war wound by moving to a drier climate, accompanied by his eldest son. They built a one-room, dirt-floor cabin, and there was enough grass to raise a few cattle at his "Bar DX" ranch.
After a decade John's daughter, her husband and two small children also moved here, and she persuaded/forced him to improve the cabin, which gained a wood floor and a 100-piece china set. The structure is still here today, a hundred years later.
The trail began to switchback and passed by petroglyphs left by the Ute peoples.
As we gained altitude we could look back to the parking area. The occasional layers of pale green in the hills are volcanic ash (click on the image to enlarge).
We hiked on, gradually climbing and approaching an outcropping of slickrock.
Even early in the morning there was a steady succession of pilgrims crossing the reflective slickrock.
Some of our fellow hikers' clothes seemed out of place, such as a long, flowing red dress and two-piece running togs that demanded lots of sunscreen.
The trail became more gradual and swung to the right. After treading carefully on the now-elevated path, Joan and I drew close to the Delicate Arch. There's a knot of people in the upper right of this photo.
A backup forms because a three or four foot lip separates the trail from the bowl, slowing the hikers, who ponder the best way to approach the arch.
Once inside the bowl we crossed a canted surface to draw closer.
Everybody wanted a photo of themselves or their friends standing underneath the arch, of course, whether taken by helpful fellow hikers or by means of a selfie stick. Eventually it was our turn and I took a picture of Joan holding our two piggies, Zorba and Paco.
Photo opportunities abounded here, but my narrative needs to keep moving.
Our group grabbed the last shaded spot in a picnic area for lunch. We were thankful for the shade, as the heat had built up considerably. Tim and Clint, our guides, then drove us to our next destination, Devil's Garden and Landscape Arch. As always, there was a sign at the parking area.
The path is wide at first, but it soon reaches a narrow passage.
Consider the curved strata in the column on the left.
Two bands diverge in this formation; the lower one dips down.
Hey -- is that Landscape Arch ahead?
Getting closer ...
Visitors are no longer allowed under this arch; pieces have been falling off!
A section on the right separated in 1991 after several days of rain. As Tim commented, "Perhaps this arch should be 'Delicate Arch'!"
If any more breaks off, the whole structure may come tumbling down.
I was dressed with sunhat, long-sleeved shirt, and long pants, but there were sun-worshippers here perched on the boulders. Not for us!
Our day in Arches National Park continues in the next post.
