Delicate Arch in Arches National Park never fails to inspire me. It is perhaps the most famous and most recognized natural arch in Utah, especially because it free-standing nature is so unusual. However, it is also the most popular hike in the park, and there are always dozens of people present there, especially at sunset. One of the things I find so perplexing is the fact that many people feel compelled to perform some kind of stunt - like a handstand or backflip - under the arch, thus drawing to themselves the attention of the multitudes of onlookers. By contrast, I prefer to savor the sacred quality of the site, and view the stunts as simply another manifestation of our human need to have the constricted ego-self recognized. Weary of my own ego-self and the suffering it causes, I generally feel drawn instead to lose myself in awe and wonder in the presence of this magnificent place, and seek to allow Mother Earth to celebrate her own beauty and goodness through my eyes. Wanting a bit more solitude, I hiked into the amazing rock bowl that spreads out below the arch and took some photographs there. The sounds of the people up above became muffled and the sacredness of the site was then able to come to the fore. Besides, the famous arch is rarely seen from that perspective!
Photo: Juniper trunk with Delicate Arch at sunset, Arches National Park, UT; May 30, 2014
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