Salt Wash is a stream in a deep canyon west of Delicate Arch. Its canyon walls are weirdly-shaped and have varying gradients. The topography qualifies as "eye-popping." Earlier trips to Arches NP had exposed me to distant views of the canyon and Google Earth's aerial views allowed me to explore the area vicariously. Curiosity evolved into full-blooded landscape lust, so it became my mission to see the place up close.

There is no trail to the canyon's precipice, but the nearby Delicate Arch Trail provides an easy approach to the general area. From near the end of that trail I struck off into the wilds of sand and sandstone. I walked along more than a mile of the precipice; the general area is at the center of this WikiMapia aerial view.

Along the way I examined a sandstone blob (outcrop) near Delicate Arch that intrigued me since seeing it in Google Earth and WikiMapia; it's at the center of this WikiMapia aerial view.