| Waking up in Moab, our first action was to see Arches. The photograph above shows one of the first roads into the park. |
| The hike to Delicate Arch was supposed to be a simple 1.5-mile beginner's trail to Utah's most recognized landmark. Instead, Beth and I lost the trail of cairns--small piles of rocks signifying the direction of the trail--and found our own unique way to the impressive symbol of Utah. I would not recommend this method of discovery. At one point, the trail we had created ourselves evaporated to a steep, narrow curve around a monolith, heading in the general direction where I thought we were supposed to go. Looking down made me dizzy, as we had found ourselves on a ledge high enough to damage myself significantly with a single stumble. Our hearts raced, we tiptoed along the unintentional walkway, and we made it to the Arch. |
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| We realized that we'd have to pay more attention to the trails if we intended to make it out of Utah alive. Above left and below right, the photogenic Delicate Arch rises high. Below left, Balanced Rock hangs gently scores of feet above our heads. |
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| After an hour or so hanging around the area of the Delicate Arch area of the park (below left), we hiked back to the trailhead and drove over to the Double Arch, near the Windows section of the park (below right). |
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| Double Arch, true to its name, had two awesome arches. One arch framed a window from which to watch the perfect sunset. Below, Beth sits on the windowsill and takes a picture of me as I climb to join her for a lovely view of heaven. |
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| I'm not a particularly good rock climber. Still, I was impressed that I managed to attain the perch without hurting myself. |
| We watched the sun set in solitude, as the few tourists in the area seemed to head home well before nightfall. Below, a lone motorcycle cuts across the road, casting a single headlight in the foreground of the setting sun while a lens flare makes its mark. Click below for a quick video of the Utah sun setting! |
| The Utah sky only seemed to get more grandiose with each degree that the sun fell toward the horizon.. |
| We kept trying to leave the Double Arch area, but we'd get sucked into watching the sun for a few moments more. |
| Below, the silhouette of the Double Arch is visible to the right of the setting sun in a formation that feels vaguely prehistoric. |
| Below, Beth takes a final look back at the final moments of one of the best days of our summer. |
