This is an automated post. The PGA Tour is off this weekend and so am I!
I’m currently camping and hiking in Arches National Park, my favorite place on this planet. I’m off the grid. No computer. No cell phone. Here’s a picture from one of my last visits to Arches below. I may be in this same place right now!
I’m still recovering from my incredible journey which caused me to miss the entire TPC tournament last week. I have the tourney DVR’d so I’ll watch it if I get bored.
Can you see me? I should tee up a driver from this spot at Canyonlands with a 2000 foot drop. That would be one sure way of increasing my driving distance.
Last week I camped with my pop and my two youngest in southern Utah. The first night we were at a remote and desolate site between Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. We visited Dead Horse and Canyonlands in the first 24 hours. The picture above is of me (can you see me?) standing atop a ledge at Canyonlands. There’s a 2000 foot drop below.
The rest of the trip we camped in Arches National Park, my favorite place on this planet. We hiked all over and saw the incredible land formations and some of the 2000 documented arches in the park. Arches has the highest concentration of natural bridges in the world and to be “documented” the arches must be three feet wide or bigger. I’ve reviewed Arches before and you can read that post here.
Below I’m standing in the single most breathtaking place I’ve ever visited, Delicate Arch. This is the arch you see on Utah’s license plates.
I’ve visited this incredible spot dozens of times. Every time I turn that last corner of the 1.5 mile hike straight uphill in the hot desert heat and see the arch, I’m speechless and breathless. I completely forget how tired I was and I’m filled with energy and humbled by the beauty of this place.
I only posted two images in here, but I shot 792 photos last week. That was clearly not enough so I’m going back in two weeks…
Forget golf for a moment!
Contrary to what people who frequent my many golf web sites may think, the golf course is not my favorite place to visit. That distinction belongs to Arches National Park.
Location
Arches is 239 miles southwest of my home, in South-Eastern Utah. Arches is two miles north of Moab, Utah. Moab is a small town whose primary industry is tourism. Tourists hit Moab for mountain biking on the famous “slickrock trail,” rafting down the Colorado River or visiting Arches NP, Canyonlands National Park or Dead Horse Point. Moab draws a very “green” and yuppie crowd. There are more granola bars and “organic” food items per square inch there than any place on Earth. Good luck finding a non organic Pop Tart in that town because I couldn’t.
About Arches
Arches is a spectacular area of land which contains the highest density of natural arches in the word. The high desert landscape of Arches has very little precipitation and extreme temperature variations. Red sandstone formations and fins have undergone millions of years of erosion, which result in visually stunning visuals and 2000 documented arches.
Attractions
Delicate Arch
Utah’s license plates have an arch from Arches on them. This is Delicate Arch. Delicate Arch is probably the most famous natural arch in the world. Getting to Delicate Arch requires some good calorie burning hiking uphill, about 1.5 miles. The arch itself is at the edge of a huge sandstone cliff, with an amazing sandstone bowl above. You can go right up and sit under the arch (see pictures), and that drop off the cliff is less than 10 feet through the arch.
I’ve happily made this rigorous uphill 1.5 mile hike in 100+ degree desert heat dozens of times, including yesterday. No matter how tired and sweaty I am when I get there, I completely forget all of that the second I turn the corner and see what I believe to be one of the most amazing and breathtaking formations anywhere. I’m completely awestruck by the beauty of Delicate Arch.
Suggestion: Plan your photos for early morning or late evening when the lighting is the best. And also be sure to cut your toenails! The hike down from Delicate Arch can really cause you grief if your toenails are rubbing against the front of your shoes!
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