Mesa Arch

Canyonlands National Park, San Juan County, Utah, USA, March 11, 2017. Nikon D90, Tamron SP AF 10-24mm, f/3.5-4.5 Di II LD Aspherical IF B001N at 10mm, Manual Exposure mode, f/22 for 1/13 second, ISO 200, processed in Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC.

It seems that everyone that has ever visited Canyonlands National Park, has been to Mesa Arch. When we arrived a little before sunrise, it was pretty much a circus. There were a bunch of college aged kids having a mini rock concert off to one side, about two dozen photographers lined up and jockeying for position to try and get that iconic shot of the sunrise through the arch, and a bunch more folks just hanging around and taking it all in.

After all the hubbub died down, I wandered over to the right side of the arch and made this image, which in my mind is my favorite of the morning!

Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, San Juan County, Utah, USA, March 11, 2017. Nikon D90, Tamron SP AF 10-24mm, f/3.5-4.5 Di II LD Aspherical IF B001N at 10mm, Manual Exposure mode, f/8 for 1/30 second, ISO 200, processed in Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC.

Lauri and I did wade into the melee and get a few images. There was no way to negotiate the crowd with a tripod, however. I tried and it just wasn't working, so I decided to handhold and managed to get a couple of fairly decent images. It is magical how the sunrise colors the bottom of the arch. It is not just a sleight of hand of those who photograph it, but needs to be experienced to be appreciated fully.

Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, San Juan County, Utah, USA, March 11, 2017. Nikon D90, Tamron SP AF 10-24mm, f/3.5-4.5 Di II LD Aspherical IF B001N at 10mm, Manual Exposure mode, f/22 for 1/13 second, ISO 200, processed in Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC.

Arches National Park Teaser

While certainly not a comprehensive list, some other interesting things to see in Arches National Park are shown in a few images here. The petroglyphs at Wolfe Ranch are believed to be Ute images. The ones below are pretty obvious. The one above leaves a little more to the imagination!

The sparse vegetation in this barren and harsh country can be intimidating to some, but having spent much of my formative youth in similar piñon-juniper country, this always seems like home to me!

Even though it is a harsh and barren environment, if you walk slowly and allow the wildlife to not be disturbed, you can often catch glimpses of critters that appear unexpected, even in the heat of the day!

The Fiery Furnace, an intriguing place to be sure, but not one I have ventured into - yet!

There has been so much damage to the ground underneath and near Landscape Arch that the NPS has fenced it off and getting the images I would like is not possible. Of course having the beautiful sunny day turn gray and overcast didn't make the job any easier.

Different Perspectives

Arguably the most widely recognized feature in Arches National Park, Delicate Arch was not part of the of the U.S. National Monument in 1929, and was not included within the original boundaries. It was later added when the monument was enlarged in 1938. According to legend, due to its distinctive shape, the arch was known as "the Chaps" and "the Schoolmarm's Bloomers" by locals.

It was named by Frank Beckwith, the leader of the Arches National Monument Scientific Expedition, who explored the area in the winter of 1933–1934.

A story that sometimes still circulates that the names of Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch were inadvertently exchanged due to a signage mixup by the National Park Service is false. There was no such mixup, even though Landscape Arch could easily fit the name of "Delicate Arch."

For years our family drove past the entrance to Arches National Park and marveled at the extremely long lines of vehicles waiting and baking in the hot summer sun to drive slowly bumper-to-bumper up into the park. Even the knowledge of what was there gained from years of watching old home movies and slide show was not enough to convince us to join that caravan!

Early this Spring, however, we decided to spend a few days in Moab and the crowds were not around mid-week.  We decided to chance it and go see what was there. Of course, Delicate Arch is a highlight, but it is certainly not all there is to see and explore and make images of.

One of the things that is so fascinating about this arch is that images of it are everywhere, but they are strikingly similar - everyone wants that iconic shot with the LaSal Mountains in the background.  Granted it is a wonderful view, but there are so many other faces to see and explore just by getting a little different perspective.

It really is situated on the edge of a cliff - not the very edge, but close enough that going around the backside is not a comfortable proposition. I am sure Lauri was wondering about my sanity and safety at times, but I didn't take any undue chances.

This view is quite deceptive. The platform at the base of the arch is really quite large and there is little danger of falling, but this is the only place I nearly fell.  Looking straight up through the viewfinder of my camera I got vertigo - it seemed as though I was on a very narrow ledge and was in imminent danger of falling in either direction.  Had I done so, I would have bruised my ego, but little else.

Just before you get to where you can see the arch, the trail goes past a small arch (window) in the ridge where you can see the arch from a completely different perspective - one that gives a good feeling for just how steep these rock faces are and the rugged country the arch is located in.

Find a way to go and see this amazing site. It will not disappoint, but see if you can arrange it when the road in the park is actually open!