EVERYONE in Utah knows Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. It’s on the licence plates.
The Olympic torch relay for the 2002 Winter Olympics passed through the arch.
Yet many do not visit, intimidated by the rugged 3mi (4.8km) return trail.
The start of the walk is ugly. I was wondering if it was going to be a colossal let down.
But the trek improves considerably when you hit steep slickrock. And again when you reach a rock ledge path.
… The arch comes into view suddenly around a corner in the trail and frames the La Sal Mountains to the southeast. The immediate area around the Arch offers views of the southern expanse of the park, and has unguarded cliffs plunging one hundred feet or more.
Fantastic!
The location looks like a set built for the old Startrek TV series.
I had the arch to myself late in the afternoon and was tempted to free climb it. Unfortunately that plan had been ruined by Dean Potter accused in 2006 of letting his team fix protection from a top rope draped over the formation, possibly damaging the structure. (Potter denies the charge.)
On the return I bypassed the cattle trail and took instead to the rocky ridge that runs parallel. A nice loop.
Delicate Arch is one of the best hikes in the world, not to be missed by anyone passing through Moab.
Oh, and climbing arches is now strictly forbidden.
besthike.com 
We live in a nation of ipods and cell phones, suburban sprawl and people who could care less about their towns being paved over for walmarts and more cookie cutter subdivisions. It’s a nation of fat people, in general, at least of increasing numbers of people who are overweight and many inflicted with illness due to their not doing what’s right for their physical health. There are more commercials on TV for junk food than for hiking boots & tents telling us to go outdoors. Garmin commercials don’t say “Don’t let lost in the woods” they say “don’t get lost driving around the city.”
We might be living in a culture where more people would rather *not* be involved with the wilderness. Too much work. Too foreign. What is wilderness?!? Just wanna look at it in pictures or on the National Geographic Channel when American Idol’s not on.
And when people do go beyond their living room sofa, all so many of them see is big box stores, fast food joints and other chain restaurants, starbucks, cell phone towers, and stop lights. One might think, “Does Arches have wireless internet access? Not sure I can go if I can’t be connected to my myspace page.” Sad.
I despise being so negative about society but take a drive to suburban America and possibly much of suburban Canada, too, and this is all the crap you’ll run into. Unless one ventures into the bush to forever live off the land, unconnected from people except through one-on-one conversation with your friendly fur trader, you can’t completely ignore all that’s bad around us.
But thankfully some of us seem to have our head screwed on straight; we know the intense beauty of the land and the peacefulness of a hike to a rock in the Utah desert — No Laptop Needed.
Perhaps it’s a good thing that less people venture to these beautiful places? More serentity for the rest of us.
Wow.
THANKS for this and your other comments.
As a career gymnastics coach, you are preaching to the choir. I know what kids were like a few generations ago — before Xbox and TV. Fit, energetic, running free.
Hiking is a glimpse into our past. How life used to be before electricity.
I’ve subscribed to your blog too. Keep up the great work!