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Why did I go here? Delicate arch, the most famous of arches, and I took the same picture like everybody else.
Like all great works of art, its only valuable based on the story behind it. So here’s my story of Delicate Arch.
Should I start with how we changed a diaper blow-out on the rocks with no shade? Or the TikTok dancers and their bluetooth speaker?
First off, I expected the hike to the arch to be a short get-out-of-your-car and-walk-three-steps-and-you-are-there kind of deal.
I guess ignorance follows when you refuse to have a schedule.
With Lilly on Kaelin’s back, and the rest of the gear on mine, we hiked 1.5 miles through beautiful desert rock, up steep slopes, and across narrow chokepoints with deep drop-offs inches from the path.
I was surprised to see people of all ages hiking to the arch, from 6 years to 60. With all the talk about people sitting inside, not getting enough exercise, yada yada, This group put those allegations to shame.
Especially the number of elderly people. Man, I hope to be as active as them when I grow up.
When we arrived at the arch, a line was already formed of people wanting to get a photoshop-free picture with the arch. I thought this was a good idea. Some would have friends or family sitting on an outcropping with a telephoto lens while they run below the arch for a great photo. Couples, such as ourselves, recruited the person behind us to grab shots of the majestic rock towering above us.
Besides for one man ignoring the line and giving the foreign couple in front of us a heart attack, there were not too many people to overcrowd the view and ruin the experience, such as the case with Angels landing in Zion (that’s another story).
“Standing there, gaping at this monstrous and inhumane spectacle of rock and cloud and sky and space, I feel a ridiculous greed and possessiveness come over me. I want to know it all, possess it all, embrace the entire scene intimately, deeply, totally…”
On this trip, Lilly had exceeded my expectations. She slept during most of the 20 hour drive to CO, she loved camping in the bright blue tent, and for the most part, enjoyed sitting in the harness. However, as we were constantly on our feet the whole day, there wasn’t a set schedule of when we would walk and when we would sit and rest.
To put it another way, Delicate Arch wasn’t overcrowded, but Lilly’s diaper was. In addition, her empty stomach sent signals to her brain that it needed to be full again. Without going into too much detail, we found the last private spot on the rocks above the path somewhat concealed from view, I held up the harness for additional privacy, and we fulfilled both challenges laid before us.
We shared a laugh that relieved our tense muscles. Situations such as these were expected on this trip. Full and clean, Lilly was happy too, and we decided to enjoy a little bit more of the arc before we headed back.
Soon enough, our entertainment began.
The music could be heard well before they came into view. Punchy, commanding, and synthetic; the kind you hear at the club. A group of girls, intent on getting their “authentic experience” TikTok, decided to prep for their dance moves in a place only logical to the social media addict: directly on the trail.
Unfortunately, the trail is more like a slanted slope that requires goose stepping along to counter-balance against gravity. In other words, traffic jams ensued.
Harsh looks were given, entertainment for me was produced, and they ended up taking their music elsewere, much to the relief for many people there, myself included.
The bluetooth speaker is a wonderous tool, useful for changing the car brakes, cleaning the house, or hosting a party; but NOT for hiking. Make sure it remains extinct on the trails please. I hope, dear reader, I don’t have to elaborate why.
Maybe everyone reads the chapter on Delicate Arch, or the Dolomites, or Paris, France. But that shouldn’t be an excuse to skip it. Some of the best chapters are the ones where the hero wins, or justice is served. I think of the world as a book filled with stories. With chapters about castles, cultures, mountains and mystery. Some chapters are bigger than others, while the smaller ones are just not filled in enough.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine
Every crack and crevasse on Delicate Arch has been touched. It’s history written, dsicussed, and filed thousands of years back. But it is a geological formation you will never see anywhere else. Its beautiful tones of orange complimented with the blue sky reminds you of something you see in a dream. An ethereal gateway into paradise.
Here is my own story to add to the pages. To all my readers, (mom included) I hope this encourages you to go out and write your own story.
Molon Labe