This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Arches National Park — Somewhere on a well-traveled slick rock hill, I was trying to remember how many times I have hiked to Delicate Arch. To the best of my recollection, Friday was my fifth time. Then I started thinking about how many different people with whom I have hiked there.
There's some of my Salt Lake City friends, some of my friends from the Midwest and California, my girlfriend and one of my brothers. Friday's hike was with one of my old University of Missouri roommates, Rob. (He's on the right in the attached photo, which some nice young lady who said she just graduated from the University of California-Berkeley snapped with my camera.) Rob was visiting from suburban St. Louis. When we went into Arches National Park, I made sure to take him to Delicate Arch. You really need to see Delicate Arch up close to realize why so much of Utah has adopted it as a symbol. And in doing so you learn a little about Utah. Plus, it's a great trail for visiting with an old friend. It's not strenuous, so you have plenty of breath. The footing is good, so you're not distracted by looking down. If the conversation gets stale, you can always look silently at the scenery. I'll probably hike to Delicate Arch again one day, but not alone. — Nate Carlisle