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Dave Beedon | profile | all galleries >> Places >> Utah >> Arches National Park >> Delicate Arch Viewpoint >> Delicate Arch Viewpoint: Circumnavigation tree view | thumbnails | slideshow | map

Delicate Arch Viewpoint: the viewpoint and the ridge | Delicate Arch Viewpoint: Terrain to the east | Delicate Arch Viewpoint: Circumnavigation

Delicate Arch Viewpoint: Circumnavigation

This fair-weather hike was a form of revenge for the disappointment suffered a few days earlier during a brief but nasty storm that rained me out. It began as an off-trail exploration of the terrain east of the Delicate Arch Viewpoint and evolved into a circumnavigation of the viewpoint, which included a descent into the amphitheater next to the viewpoint.

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View of Delicate Arch area from the park road (2006-1027_9403)
View of Delicate Arch area from the park road (2006-1027_9403)		 Trail to Delicate Arch Viewpoint starts here
Trail to Delicate Arch Viewpoint starts here		 My goal was the red and white ridge in the left distance; my route went onto the road, then left into a wash
My goal was the red and white ridge in the left distance; my route went onto the road, then left into a wash		 Better view of the ridge goal, from the main wash in Cache Valley
Better view of the ridge goal, from the main wash in Cache Valley		 Two washes and one road in Cache Valley
Two washes and one road in Cache Valley		 Wild zigzag route required here to avoid the cryptobiotic soil
Wild zigzag route required here to avoid the cryptobiotic soil
Trailhead parking lot: so close, yet a world away
Trailhead parking lot: so close, yet a world away		 Recent rain caused this
Recent rain caused this		 Go straight ahead toward nirvana
Go straight ahead toward nirvana		 Relaxing remnant of recent raucous rain---really!
Relaxing remnant of recent raucous rain---really!		 Checking out the route
Checking out the route		 Dead end (see previous photo)
Dead end (see previous photo)
By-passing the dead-end route (previous two photos) led to this
By-passing the dead-end route (previous two photos) led to this		 The beauty of this bowl bowled me over
The beauty of this bowl bowled me over		 Water channel and remnant of recent rain
Water channel and remnant of recent rain		 No storm this time (compare to similar shot of a few days earlier)
No storm this time (compare to similar shot of a few days earlier)		 Where I sat out the storm on the previous hike here
Where I sat out the storm on the previous hike here		 Onward to inspect this formation
Onward to inspect this formation
Rock world
Rock world		 Monuments to erosion
Monuments to erosion		 Rock litter near the far end of the formation of an earlier photo
Rock litter near the far end of the formation of an earlier photo		 Park boundary sign (tiny white speck in an earlier photo)
Park boundary sign (tiny white speck in an earlier photo)		 Park boundary and Jug Rock
Park boundary and Jug Rock		 Supplies for the boundary fence
Supplies for the boundary fence
The original goal of this hike was the shadowy ridge ( I did get onto the left portion of the ridge)
The original goal of this hike was the shadowy ridge ( I did get onto the left portion of the ridge)		 Looking across Cache Valley at The Windows Section on the horizon
Looking across Cache Valley at The Windows Section on the horizon		 View of Delicate Arch (dead center on the horizon) is spoiled by an insensitive tourist
View of Delicate Arch (dead center on the horizon) is spoiled by an insensitive tourist		 Two-tone sand-stone
Two-tone sand-stone		 This terrain inspired me to make an unplanned detour
This terrain inspired me to make an unplanned detour		 Arch topography
Arch topography
Earlier explorations have taken me to the two marked areas (see description below)
Earlier explorations have taken me to the two marked areas (see description below)		 Pinon pine framing Delicate Arch
Pinon pine framing Delicate Arch		 Cave trying to become an arch, documented in another gallery (see below)
Cave trying to become an arch, documented in another gallery (see below)		 Flora
Flora		 Delicate Arch framed yet again! (when will it end?)
Delicate Arch framed yet again! (when will it end?)		 Five fingers
Five fingers
Shallow patch of cryptobiotic soil as foundation for flora
Shallow patch of cryptobiotic soil as foundation for flora		 Salad bowl
Salad bowl		 Fall colors
Fall colors		 Pinon pine
Pinon pine		 Drainage
Drainage		 Getting closer to the goal (the reddish ridge at left)
Getting closer to the goal (the reddish ridge at left)
At the base of the ridge
At the base of the ridge		 View of Delicate Arch from the goal ridge
View of Delicate Arch from the goal ridge		 Reverse view of viewpoint slab
Reverse view of viewpoint slab		 Moabian sandstone claims another victim
Moabian sandstone claims another victim		 View from ridge: fingers above Cache Valley
View from ridge: "fingers" above Cache Valley		 High point of ridge: too much exposure for me
High point of ridge: too much exposure for me
On the way to the new route I passed the twins again
On the way to the new route I passed the twins again		 Fence posts (but no barbed wire) below the twins mark a park boundary line
Fence posts (but no barbed wire) below the twins mark a park boundary line		 Fence potential
Fence potential		 More fence potential; background: my original goal
More fence potential; background: my original goal		 The route down into the amphitheater; note faint boundary post sign at far left
The route down into the amphitheater; note faint boundary post sign at far left		 Boundary marker (see next photo)
Boundary marker (see next photo)
Bench Mark: U. S. General Land Office Survey 1928
Bench Mark: "U. S. General Land Office Survey 1928"		 Game trail through cryptobiotic soil
Game trail through cryptobiotic soil		 Amphitheater tower seen on previous trips
Amphitheater tower seen on previous trips		 Delicate Arch standing above the amphitheater
Delicate Arch standing above the amphitheater		 Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch		 The route ahead: bedrock and shadow
The route ahead: bedrock and shadow
The route behind: bedrock and boulders
The route behind: bedrock and boulders		 Ever-present: Delicate Arch, standing above everything
Ever-present: Delicate Arch, standing above everything		 Paintbrush (common paintbrush? annual paintbrush? Wyoming paintbrush?)
Paintbrush (common paintbrush? annual paintbrush? Wyoming paintbrush?)		 Amphitheater tower again
Amphitheater tower again		 The route back toward the twins
The route back toward "the twins"		 Flood debris of Winter Camp Wash (now I'm at the bottom of the amphitheater)
Flood debris of Winter Camp Wash (now I'm at the bottom of the amphitheater)
Evil shadow below Delicate Arch
Evil shadow below Delicate Arch		 The route down the wash looks like this
The route down the wash looks like this		 Jet, arch, wall, and amphitheater
Jet, arch, wall, and amphitheater		 Delicate jet
Delicate jet		 Hiking route ahead
Hiking route ahead		 Fingers of the viewpoint
Fingers of the viewpoint
Looking up toward Delicate Arch Viewpoint from Winter Camp Wash amphitheater
Looking up toward Delicate Arch Viewpoint from Winter Camp Wash amphitheater		 Flow pattern in the streambed sand
Flow pattern in the streambed sand		 Another, more distant, view of the viewpoint's fingers
Another, more distant, view of the viewpoint's "fingers"		 Delicate Arch getting washed (in Winter Camp Wash)
Delicate Arch getting "washed" (in Winter Camp Wash)		 Delicate Arch (optical illusion)
Delicate Arch (optical illusion)		 Sacred mimicry advances a spiritual quest
Sacred mimicry advances a spiritual quest
Final view of the amphitheater tower
Final view of the amphitheater tower		 Follow the wash past the yellow bush and into the canyon
Follow the wash past the yellow bush and into the canyon		 What I was walking in
What I was walking in		 Pleasant route out of the amphitheater
Pleasant route out of the amphitheater		 This colorful scene is what I walked into
This colorful scene is what I walked into		 The walls are closing in
The walls are closing in
Last look back at the amphitheater
Last look back at the amphitheater		 I wish the Park Service would do something about this unsighly debris on the stream bed!
I wish the Park Service would do something about this unsighly debris on the stream bed!		 Another untidy scene; maybe Adrian Monk will help me neaten this up
Another untidy scene; maybe Adrian Monk will help me neaten this up		 Walls are getting shorter as I near the place for exiting the canyon
Walls are getting shorter as I near the place for exiting the canyon		 This way out!---someone else was here
This way out!---someone else was here		 Looking down on the canyon of Winter Camp Wash, where I came from
Looking down on the canyon of Winter Camp Wash, where I came from
Downstream view of Winter Camp Wash
Downstream view of Winter Camp Wash		 From the lower portion of the viewpoint ridge it is not possible to see Delicate Arch
From the lower portion of the viewpoint ridge it is not possible to see Delicate Arch		 The view from the Delicate Arch Viewpoint
The view from the Delicate Arch Viewpoint		 View up the ridge from near the Delicate Arch Viewpoint
View up the ridge from near the Delicate Arch Viewpoint		 Cache Valley
Cache Valley		 Close to the parking lot (to the right)
Close to the parking lot (to the right)
Railings
Railings		 Final picture of the hike: guard dogs in the parking lot
Final picture of the hike: guard dogs in the parking lot

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