We got up early – really early – about 90 minutes before sunrise to see Delicate Arch. Despite our early departure we were certainly not the first at the trail head, but we were close.
Hiking up to Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch at sunrise. Yep, that little figure in neon green, close to the highest spire is Adam.
We had plenty of light on the slickrock and arrived just as the first rays began to strike the arch. For the very first time I saw Delicate Arch with nobody standing under it, posing and ruining the arch for the rest of us. It was definitely a photographer crowd. After hiking across nearby slickrock we returned back to camp for a lazy breakfast of pancakes. Later that day we headed out on to see the arches of Devil’s Garden. The old “spot the German” game was as entertaining as ever and by the time we reached landscape arch we stopped counting.
Landscape Arch
Our group on the fins. Sure glad Adam brought that flag along :-). I forgot mine in the office. Adam and Christopher are still goofing off exploring Navajo and Partition Arch.
The fins of Devil’s Garden
We did the entire loop, all the way to Double O Arch, returning via the primitive loop trail. In the evening Sarah, Cassia and Christoph headed back to Broken Arch to capture some star trails. It was a dark warm night, and we spent maybe an hour at the arch taking pictures and trying not to annoy some guy from Indiana too much.
Sunset at the camp ground
Broken Arch and star trails.