When we drove into Arches National Park, the first thing I noticed was how the orange rocks and teal skies competed for my attention. The rock formations seemed endless as they stretched across the horizon, a perfect contrast to the clear blue sky above.
Arches is known for its natural bridge formations, the most well known being Delicate Arch. At sunset we hiked out to see this iconic arc, the light was perfect as we joined the crowds of people sitting around its perimeter. Some were taking pictures while others enjoyed the view. It almost felt like we were watching a performance, with Delicate Arch being the main event.
Delicate Arch
I could see why this formation had become Arches namesake and many an artist had tried to capture its beauty. But later I realized how many “underrated” arches had also taken my breath away. Specifically Broken Arch (shown in the cover photo). I found the hike to Broken Arch to be less crowded and off the beaten path, which is more my style.
Before we left for out west, I bought a small sketchbook that also doubles as a travel journal. I filled the pages with my thoughts and drawings, like the one of Delicate Arch shown below. I find that sketching helps me slow down and reflect on my experiences. The best thing about this hobby is that I can do it anywhere. All I need is pen and paper.
Climbing a Tower
But it wasn’t just the views and hiking that led us to want to visit Arches. We had an ulterior motive. Climb a Tower
You see, Florida, let alone the Southeast, isn’t known for towers. In fact, I couldn’t name the closest one to us. When I say towers I’m talking about trad climbs like the one shown below. If at this point you’ve completely lost me and you’re not sure what Trad climbing is read this.
The popular tower climb shown below is called “The Owl” but everyone who has seen it calls it something entirely different. From a certain angle, this rock mimics a… Well, you know what I mean.
John led the climb and made it possible for the three of us to follow. It’s not every day in the climbing world where you can fit four people on top of a tower. We were even able to snap a photo to capture the moment. It was pretty surreal to sit there and look out at a bird’s eye view of the park. That was one of my favorite moments of our trip.
As you would expect, all this hiking and climbing made us pretty hungry. I can proudly say that Noah and I would share a camp meal and together eat about four servings… Two times a day… Plus snacks. Honestly eating took us as much time as hiking.
India captured us glamorously cooking our camp meal on the side of the road, and I love how it turned out. It’s simple but yet says so much. I really love this guy.
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