Monday morning we got up early and had a quick breakfast at the hotel buffet. Nothing like chocolate waffles to start your day! We knew we needed to be to the park early to get a good parking spot for our hike to the arch. I am so excited to do this! I hiked to the arch when I was 11, but I don't remember hiking it, I just have the picture of me and our family friend by the arch. We got great parking and set out on our hike. It was chilly! We were bundled up as best as we could. It was not a hard hike, just a little long. Amanda is 5 months pregnant so I told her we would go at her speed. Guess what...her speed was perfect for me! You walk on a trail for a little bit, and then it turns to flat red rock at an incline. Again, not bad. Then it's flat again for awhile and then the last little bit you walk uphill on red rock, a trail about 2 people wide, and you go around a bend and there it is! That last little bit could be treacherous, so we walked it carefully. It was so amazing to see the arch up close! We had to climb over this red rock wall of sorts to walk over to the arch. Grandpa couldn't wait to touch the arch! We had to get a picture of that! Joel had to get pictures from all angles and sides. He made me a little nervous!! Next to the arch is a place you can climb up and look down and around, it was amazing. I took David's picture there. He wanted me to climb up there and see how great the view was. He was right. We took a TON of pictures on this trail so I will try to keep it minimal, but don't want to miss any part of it either. I will split it into two posts. We were so glad we got up and went when we did. By the time we got back to the parking lot, it was full and people were looking for spots. Right by the parking lot there were some hieroglyphs and an old log cabin that a John Wesley Wolfe had built and used (not sure the years for that). We had a quick snack in the parking lot and a bathroom break before we drove out of that parking lot for more arch adventures.
Looking back the way we came, can't see the parking lot anymore...
Snack time!
One of Joel's cool pictures...
My favorite picture...all those trail markers by the TRAIL sign, and cute little Jacob stacking another one to add to the collection...in his low rise pants...
Almost there! If you climb up to this little arch, you can see the Delicate Arch through it..we opted to let Joel climb and get that picture...
The view right before you get to the corner where the Arch is on the other side...
Just around this corner!!
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