Lessons Learned While Hiking to Delicate Arch

One afternoon earlier this summer, I, along with my aunt, uncle, and my uncle's brother, set out to hike to the most iconic formation in Arches National Park - Delicate Arch.  

After leaving our rental at the parking lot at the mouth of the trailhead, we gathered our gear and set out on the dusty path. It was 4:30pm, 100℉, and Delicate Arch was 1.5 miles away.  The first sign we passed stated, 

"Heat Kills!  Avoid the heat - hike early or late.  Drink water - 2 liters per person."  

We had enough water, but unfortunately, due to time constraints, we couldn't hike early or late.  We only had a certain window of time to hike to Delicate Arch and it was basically then or not at all.  So we hiked.

The trek to Delicate Arch is mostly uphill with a 480 ft. change in elevation.  The fact that the trail is in direct sunlight and offers very little shade made the hike more difficult.   Much of the trail is on a steep slickrock, which at that time of day, felt like a stovetop beneath our shoes.  With the sun beating down on our backs and the slickrock radiating the sun's heat back up at us, we were basically being cooked from above and below.   

I kid you not when I say that by the time I rounded the bend and my eyes finally fell upon Delicate Arch that I might've been a bit delirious.  I'm pretty certain by the time we finished our descent and made it back to the car that I was suffering from heat exhaustion.  But, despite the heat exhaustion, the dehydration, and how miserable the first half of the hike was, I'm so very glad I did it.  

You see, Delicate Arch was not only the one thing that I wanted to see most in Arches NP, but it was also the one thing I wanted to see most during our entire trip out to the Four Corner region.  We ended up nicknaming these things, the things each one of us wanted to see/do most, as our "THE."  My uncle's THE was Angel's Landing in Zion National Park; my aunt's THE were the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park.  My THE was Delicate Arch.  To gaze upon that majestic sandstone formation and to actually see how big it was in person was such an incredible experience and one that I will never forget. 

Ok, I kind of lied when I created the title, because the hike to Delicate Arch didn't really teach me any new lessons.  It did, however, reinforce four lessons that are very important and applicable to many aspects of life.

1) Don't Settle

Here's the thing - there are easier ways to see Delicate Arch than the 3 mile roundtrip hike that I took.  It can be viewed from two different viewpoints.  All you have to do is park your car and walk about the length of a football field to view the arch from the Lower Viewpoint, which allows visitors to see the arch from approximately one mile away.  A closer option, relatively speaking, is to see it from Upper Viewpoint, which requires a half mile walk that includes some stairs and gets visitors within a half mile of the arch.  But, both views from these viewpoints are from across a canyon and neither one gives you an up close and personal experience with Delicate Arch.

Bottom line - Some people are happy seeing Delicate Arch from the observation points, but if you're not one of those people don't settle - do the hike.

2) Don't Pass Up Opportunities

Nature is a funny thing - it gives and it takes away.  Delicate Arch was formed over countless years through the power of erosion.  The same forces that created this breathtaking formation will continue to weather it until one day it finally collapses.  It's easy to overlook the fact that Delicate Arch, as well as the 2000+ other arches in the park, are not permanent.  We just take it for granted that they will always be there.  

Bottom line - There's no guarantee that Delicate Arch will be there during a "next visit," be it in five years, one year, or even the next day.  If you want to see it and you get the chance, take it.

3) Hike Your Hike/Go at Your Pace

That afternoon, as my group and I trekked onward to Delicate Arch, we were passed by numerous people. It was very discouraging and on several occasions I was tempted to try to match the other hikers' pace. But, I knew that if I tried to walk faster than I was already going, that I would be absolutely miserable. Alright, for the record, I admit that I was already pretty miserable given the heat.  But, had I attempted to match the pace of those people, I would've been even more miserable.

Bottom line - It's not a race and there are no medals or trophies at the end for the people who get there first.  Hike in a manner that best suits you so that you can enjoy the experience the best you can. 

4) Preparation is Key

Benjamin Franklin once said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail' and we saw a lot of people hiking out to Delicate Arch who looked really unprepared.  Many were wearing flip flops and carried little to no water with them.  I can't help but wonder if those people made it all the way to Delicate Arch or if they had to stop somewhere along the and head back to the trailhead.  While hiking boots/shoes are not mandatory, for most sensible shoes would suffice,  water, especially during the summer months when the temperate skyrockets above 100, is absolutely, 100% necessary.  The park service puts out signs that use the word kill for a reason and that advice needs to be heeded.

Bottom line - Heed warnings, heed advice, and practice some common sense.  You may only get one chance to see this magnificent sight, be sure you're prepared.

The trek to Delicate Arch was incredible, exhausting, challenging, emotional (I kind of teared up when I first saw it), and awesome.  I'm so thankful that I got the opportunity to see it up close and personal and I strongly encourage anyone who has the desire to see Delicate Arch to be like NIKE and JUST DO IT!  

Have you ever hiked to Delicate Arch?  What was your experience like?  Did the hike provided you with any lessons?

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