We got off to a late start today The itinerary is to explore Arches National Park. There is a benefit here to having purchased the yearly national park pass. The lineup to enter the park is loonng, but when you reach a certain point on the roadway, there's a ranger stationed there to allow all pass holders to take a different road that bypasses the entry kiosk and leads to the visitor center. In an effort to conserve time, we decide to do the viewpoint drive and the hike to Delicate Arch. Along the way, we stop to see Balancing Rock and stop at a few scenic points to take some photos. By the time we arrive at the Delicate Arch hike, it is high noon in the 33 degree desert heat. It's only a 3 mile hike, so we carried on. You cross some desert wash and a metal bridge over some algae laden water, then begin the steady ascent across slickrock. Near the top, there's an arch on the right. I stopped to take a few photos and then carry on. From here you come to a catwalk with a steep drop off on the left side. Nice, smooth rock, so not too scary. Then you round a bend and see the Delicate Arch. Pretty impressive because of its size.
We each only had 1 bottle of water and should have drank twice that much. By the time we finish the hike, I am overheated and have a headache. We may have been able to fit in some of Canyonlands, but I am done for the day.
Steps on the fitness tracker: 11,100