Complement, p.4
Complement, page 4
part #3 of Connectivity Series
Once he had things fairly well set, the golden hour had set in and the gorgeous colors in the rocks popped up a notch as the glowing rays of the sun touched the canyon walls and cliff edges. Shadows became more pronounced and elongated and eventually, the sun finally dipped below the rim of the canyon, casting everything into shadow. Though the air temp was still warm, Nick shivered a moment as the warmth of the sun’s rays vanished and dusk set in.
He’d finished most of what he’d intended to unpack, but it wasn’t lost on him that in his haste to leave, he’d forgotten about a power pack to recharge his cell phone. He’d have to charge it overnight in the car but then he wouldn’t have his alarm so he could be at the park before sunrise. Oh well. He’d definitely rather have a fully charged phone than an alarm. So without any further delay, he plugged in his phone and packed away his trash, then locked his car and climbed inside his tent.
Maybe tomorrow he’d stop in town and grab up a bundle of that overpriced firewood. It would be nice to sit around and watch the stars come out while listening to the crackle and pop of the wood as the day slowly ended and the sounds of nature shifted.
~
A soft light filled the tent when Nick opened his eyes the next morning. His night hadn't been great and there’d been one rock he couldn’t quite get away from, but his comforter had served him well and he’d ended up inside of it like a burrito.
Stretching a little and rubbing his chest, Nick shivered slightly from the early morning chill but set to changing quickly and sorted his pack to take back to his car. He didn’t want to leave too many possessions around all day while he’d be gone.
He shuffled off to the bathroom and then boiled up some more water for his pouch of dehydrated breakfast. While the water did its thing, he loaded the car and checked his phone. He hadn’t quite gotten a full charge, but something was definitely better than nothing. He’d just plan to keep it plugged in during the short drive over to the park.
It would be another twenty dollar fee to enter the park and he figured he should take advantage of every minute he could after he entered. So with breakfast eaten and things relatively tidied, he jumped into his car and headed down the road for the entrance.
Pulling in, he noticed only two cars ahead of him and he congratulated himself on getting there before seven o’clock. Once the light from the dawn had filtered into the sky, it had been nearly impossible to go back to sleep and he’d been almost instantly eager to get on with his day.
As he paid his entry fee, he was told the visitor center wouldn’t be open until nine, but he just waved that off, since he had no plans to stop there anyway.
Thanking the ranger, he set out for the first arch on his list because he knew it was the most popular and parking would get really crowded as the day wore on. The road was nearly empty and the red rocks were just beginning to take on the lovely shade that gave them their name.
Cliffs and plateaus rose and fell as he ventured farther into the park and he reluctantly passed by a couple of other picturesque turnoffs in his tunnel vision to get to his primary target.
He took the turn for the lower arch viewpoint but stopped at the primary parking lot because that was where the trailhead was to hike up to the arch itself. With only seven other cars in the lot, Nick smiled and again patted himself on the back for his forethought and planning.
Taking one more trip to the bathroom, Nick set about organizing his supplies. Figuring he wouldn’t need much since it was only a two to three-hour hike, and not that hot yet, he grabbed out one of the smaller water bottles he’d purchased and the little daypack Rick had recommended in lieu of taking the big pack with him everywhere. He put his phone and wallet, along with the water bottle and protein bar into the pack and fastened it around his waist. His ball cap he attached to one of the loops on the zipper and popped his sunglasses on his head. He didn’t need them quite yet, but as the day progressed, he would most definitely be glad he had them.
Locking his car, Nick located the trailhead and headed off, a little bounce in his step as he set out on his first little adventure.
The trail was probably one of the most popular in the park, but it did require good shoes and sturdy footing. As he walked, Nick took a vague interest in the vegetation growing here and there, but his gaze kept wandering up the path. The rocks and sand were slightly less red at the bottom of the trail but he could see farther ahead to where they took on more color and he envisioned standing up there, surveying his small accomplishment, and taking a selfie or two for documentation. Maybe he could convince another hiker to take a picture for him to gain some perspective on how big the arch actually was.
The hike was a fairly steady climb, but Nick felt pumped and eager to tackle it. He passed a couple of older folks, who looked to be making slow but steady progress and nodded a greeting with a quick exchange of good wishes.
His new boots seemed to be serving him well, and he briefly looked down, happily noting they had a nice little layer of dust coating them. As silly as it seemed, such a little thing already brought a sense of accomplishment to Nick’s mental state of being. It reminded him of something he’d read on one of his social media sites: that nature was a place to just be, where you wouldn’t be judged or placed in a box, where everyone was equal and the elements treated everyone the same way. Those words held a power that Nick was only just beginning to realize.
Nature was a place to reconnect, recharge, and feel that sense of wonder that your problems were left behind. If you took the time to find yourself through nature, you might discover something new about yourself, and for Nick, taking those first steps and ascents of the hike up to one of the most iconic natural arches in the world, felt truly empowering.
He was in the middle of living, not just being, and that made all the difference to his outlook.
Even though it was still early and the sun was still low in the sky, Nick began to work up a sweat. He’d always loved a good workout during baseball season and seeing as how he’d taken almost two months off from physical exercise, it felt great to get his body moving and his heart pumping again. He could feel the burn in his hamstrings and quads as he neared the top of the steep rock face. He remembered from his readings that it wouldn’t be much farther and after a slightly nerve-wracking walk on a narrow ledge of the trail, he looked up to realize he’d made it.
He hadn’t wondered if he’d be unable to make it, after all, he was a young, fit man who participated in regular organized sports, well, kinda, but none of that mattered. The fact was, that he’d made it. He’d set out from Oregon only weeks prior, without ever having done anything on his own or really accomplishing anything at all, to moving two states away all by himself, living on his own, and successfully planning and enacting his first solo trip of exploring his world.
He felt like he could shout from the top of the cliff that he’d made it. The last few months and all his worries about Cory, their friendship, his own sexual identity… All of it just melted into the background. He’d seldom felt more present in his life and the feeling was exhilarating.
He found himself staring in amazement at the wonder and beauty and true magnificence of the arch that stood before him. It was such an astounding thing to realize what nature was capable of and that such a thing had been standing there, against the elements, for possibly thousands of years. It gave Nick a new perspective on the little things in his life. And the sentiments he’d remembered earlier took on an even sharper clarity; he was both humbled and inspired by his surroundings.
Pulling out his phone, he snapped several pictures of both the arch and the surrounding rock formations. He managed to find lots of good places and angles to snap his selfies and finally approached a man and woman to ask if they would take his picture from a few different places. They happily agreed and Nick reciprocated, taking several of them in return.
The upper landscape was also very beautiful and Nick spent about half an hour just wandering around and taking it all in. But, in time, more and more people were starting to ascend the top and he figured he’d better get on with his morning. His phone indicated it was only a little past nine, but the line of people heading his way meant the rest of the park was most likely filling up as well.
Nick spent another few quiet moments in reflection as he surveyed his surroundings and finally took his leave, making the hike back down to his car in much less time than going up had taken. His legs felt a bit wobbly by the time he made it down, but he figured he’d recharge and grab a snack before tackling the next, even longer hike.
Heading back out to the main road, Nick turned in the direction of the second hike and arch he’d most anticipated seeing. While he drove, he made sure to drink about half of his water bottle so he’d stay plenty hydrated. Even though it wasn’t that hot yet, the day was just beginning and temps were likely to approach one-hundred degrees again.
There were a lot more cars in the second parking area, but seeing as how it was at the end of the drivable roads in the park, the slots weren’t yet full, as people generally started with the closest attractions and worked their way farther into the park as the day wore on. Nick parked and pulled out one of the protein bars he’d stowed in his pack. He munched away while taking in the new sights of his surroundings. There wasn’t much to see along the road, but once he hit the trail, he was going to see several more arches and plenty of interesting rock formations.
He never would have thought of himself as having any interest in rocks or a dry dusty landscape, but it was truly stunning to see what nature was capable of. He’d only known forests and mossy green things that were always dripping with rainwater. Nick had never put any thought into other landscapes as being beautiful. Sure, rain and cloudy skies meant rainbows and lush green vegetation everywhere, but the contrast of a brilliant blue sky against stark rock and red dirt was appealing in a way Nick had known nothing about previously. That knowledge was just one more little piece of the puzzle he was putting together about himself.
How was it possible to know so little about oneself, he mused?
In the past six months, he’d come to realize more about himself and how little he’d ever paid attention to who he was at his core than he ever would have thought.
Six months ago, he’d been the captain of the baseball team, a senior about to graduate, the oldest and most neglected child of Ron and Stacy, best friend to Cory, and a pretty popular all-around guy. But those were titles and surface-level observations, not who he was.
Now, he was a completely different person. Or at least he felt like he was on the inside.
He’d never really considered what actual life would be like after he’d graduated. He was no longer the captain of the baseball team. He was no longer a student at Garden Valley High School. He was no longer best friends with Cory, or popular, for that matter. He was, quite simply, no one—a blank slate set off on his own to figure out his way. And that thought was as scary as it was liberating.
If all the changes that had transpired in his life over the last six months were any indication, he had more than a crap-ton to learn about himself. Would there ever come a time when he could say he knew exactly who he was? If falling in love with his best friend, or if not in love, but in crush with his best friend, was anything to go by, the answer to his question was, no, he would probably never know all there was to know about himself. But little by little, with each new challenge and situation he faced, Nick would come to understand himself better. He already had learned so much about himself in such a short amount of time.
Who knew what the next six months would bring?
That thought bolstered Nick’s spirit and roused him from his mini daydream.
Stowing away his trash and refilling his water bottle, Nick checked his gear and made sure he had his sunglasses and hat. The day was warming quickly and he was already glad for the items.
Once the car was locked, he headed toward the trailhead and made another quick stop at the restroom. He wasn’t averse to needing to pee along the trail but he figured he’d just get it done before that option became necessary.
There were quite a few people milling about and even some families with young children. Mothers slathered their kids in sunscreen while fathers hoisted all their gear onto their backs. Nick found that seeing the families caused quite a few conflicting emotions to rise in his thoughts, but he pressed them down and tried to focus only on being in the moment and taking his next little adventure with a light heart.
The trail was easily found and started out between some of the parks huge “fins,” the shade feeling cool against Nick’s skin. The large sandstone rock formations stood out against the landscape in almost ninety-degree angles. They rose from the ground like the plates on the back of a Stegosaurus and varied between only a few feet high to several dozen feet high and just as many feet wide. But they were randomly interspersed across the land, creating narrow passages and walking paths between them where one could find shelter and shade from the sweltering sun. They were so interesting that Nick wondered how they’d actually been formed and thought about looking for some signage or posted information as he made his way back to his car after his hike.
The first arch on the trail was only a short walk and just off to the right, up at the top of the next fin. There were several people stopped with cameras and phones all pointed toward the scene, but even though the sight was impressive, Nick pushed on knowing the more impressive arches were farther ahead and likely less crowded than the closer ones.
As he continued, the terrain opened up and he crossed an expanse of fairly clear ground. He remembered from his reading that the loop he was starting was quite long and he was supposed to take the loop in a clockwise direction so he could slide down the rock faces instead of trying to scramble up them. Reviewers had said either direction was fine if you were in a group of people and could have someone help you up or down, but if you were hiking alone, sliding down the rock face of any particular descent would be easier to control than hoisting yourself up.
So Nick took the left at the split in the path and he could already see up ahead lots of people stopped at the next arch. It was supposed to be one of the most impressive arches in the park and one of the longest natural arches in the world at just over three-hundred feet. As he approached, people of all shapes, sizes, and ages posed for pictures with the stunningly thin arch in the background. Nick made his way to a more secluded spot and took out his phone, intent on finding the set-up he liked. He took pictures from all around the area and then angled himself to take a few selfies with the amazing arch in the background. It was so delicate looking, that Nick found himself just staring in wonder as to how it had remained standing for all these years.
A nice woman, possibly in her mid-thirties, offered to take some pictures for him and he thanked her warmly before continuing along the trail, intent on beating out the crowds if anyone else was headed farther out as well.
The trail narrowed a bit again as it wound between more fins and Nick knew there were several more arches in the area, but they required time and climbing to get to, neither item he felt comfortable sacrificing alone. But there were still rock formations and smaller arches to be seen from the main trail and Nick snapped pics as he passed by, knowing the day was only getting hotter the longer he took to admire the scenery.
He sipped his water and adjusted his hat and sunglasses, feeling the beads of sweat as they rolled down his back. Even though he was only about thirty minutes into the hike, he was already beginning to notice the unrelenting heat of the sun and thought back to those overprotective mothers he’d seen in the parking area slathering their children in sunscreen. That was one thing he hadn’t thought of and knew he was probably in for one heck of a sunburn.
The next mile or so was fairly varied and went from flat ground to hiking up and walking along the tops of some pretty tall fins with drop-offs along the sides. The hike was the most physically demanding hike Nick had ever attempted. Granted he hadn’t attempted many hikes in his life, especially not alone, but there were other people around and they seemed to be managing alright, so Nick tried to suck it up and press on without whining too much about it.
The red dust and dirt combined with the unusual evergreen bushes and shrubs made for interesting textures along the trail and Nick almost lost his footing once as he was too busy focusing on the striations in the rock layers and the shadows the fins made, instead of paying attention to what was directly in front of him.
He stopped a couple of times to take pictures of some small yellow flowers and weird twisty woody tree things. And he noticed people of all abilities attempting to climb rocks and formations that he thought should be left alone. Even though it would be cool to get some photos from the tops of the fins and in the little pocket formations in the rocky walls, he opted to stick to the trail and do as little damage to the surrounding area as possible.
The rest of the hike to the arch he’d set out to see was beautiful and slightly more crowded than he’d have cared for, and while the weather was only getting hotter, he’d already had about a third of his water bottle.
But as he approached the last leg of the hike to reach the fourth arch, which was actually a double arch, he realized it was approaching lunchtime and grabbed out a granola bar to help alleviate his hunger. Having eaten breakfast at such an early hour, he was really beginning to wish he’d eaten an early lunch instead of his protein bar before beginning the seven-mile loop he’d planned. With the heat and the calories he was burning, a granola bar was probably not going to do much to replenish his energy.
As the trail wound around and between the last fins, Nick saw clusters of people up ahead and the anticipation of nearing the double arch had him taking the last short distance at a quicker pace. From Nick’s perspective, the arches themselves weren’t nearly as impressive as some of the other arches he’d already seen, but the fact that one arch was almost directly on top of the other was pretty awe-inspiring on its own.
He’d finished most of what he’d intended to unpack, but it wasn’t lost on him that in his haste to leave, he’d forgotten about a power pack to recharge his cell phone. He’d have to charge it overnight in the car but then he wouldn’t have his alarm so he could be at the park before sunrise. Oh well. He’d definitely rather have a fully charged phone than an alarm. So without any further delay, he plugged in his phone and packed away his trash, then locked his car and climbed inside his tent.
Maybe tomorrow he’d stop in town and grab up a bundle of that overpriced firewood. It would be nice to sit around and watch the stars come out while listening to the crackle and pop of the wood as the day slowly ended and the sounds of nature shifted.
~
A soft light filled the tent when Nick opened his eyes the next morning. His night hadn't been great and there’d been one rock he couldn’t quite get away from, but his comforter had served him well and he’d ended up inside of it like a burrito.
Stretching a little and rubbing his chest, Nick shivered slightly from the early morning chill but set to changing quickly and sorted his pack to take back to his car. He didn’t want to leave too many possessions around all day while he’d be gone.
He shuffled off to the bathroom and then boiled up some more water for his pouch of dehydrated breakfast. While the water did its thing, he loaded the car and checked his phone. He hadn’t quite gotten a full charge, but something was definitely better than nothing. He’d just plan to keep it plugged in during the short drive over to the park.
It would be another twenty dollar fee to enter the park and he figured he should take advantage of every minute he could after he entered. So with breakfast eaten and things relatively tidied, he jumped into his car and headed down the road for the entrance.
Pulling in, he noticed only two cars ahead of him and he congratulated himself on getting there before seven o’clock. Once the light from the dawn had filtered into the sky, it had been nearly impossible to go back to sleep and he’d been almost instantly eager to get on with his day.
As he paid his entry fee, he was told the visitor center wouldn’t be open until nine, but he just waved that off, since he had no plans to stop there anyway.
Thanking the ranger, he set out for the first arch on his list because he knew it was the most popular and parking would get really crowded as the day wore on. The road was nearly empty and the red rocks were just beginning to take on the lovely shade that gave them their name.
Cliffs and plateaus rose and fell as he ventured farther into the park and he reluctantly passed by a couple of other picturesque turnoffs in his tunnel vision to get to his primary target.
He took the turn for the lower arch viewpoint but stopped at the primary parking lot because that was where the trailhead was to hike up to the arch itself. With only seven other cars in the lot, Nick smiled and again patted himself on the back for his forethought and planning.
Taking one more trip to the bathroom, Nick set about organizing his supplies. Figuring he wouldn’t need much since it was only a two to three-hour hike, and not that hot yet, he grabbed out one of the smaller water bottles he’d purchased and the little daypack Rick had recommended in lieu of taking the big pack with him everywhere. He put his phone and wallet, along with the water bottle and protein bar into the pack and fastened it around his waist. His ball cap he attached to one of the loops on the zipper and popped his sunglasses on his head. He didn’t need them quite yet, but as the day progressed, he would most definitely be glad he had them.
Locking his car, Nick located the trailhead and headed off, a little bounce in his step as he set out on his first little adventure.
The trail was probably one of the most popular in the park, but it did require good shoes and sturdy footing. As he walked, Nick took a vague interest in the vegetation growing here and there, but his gaze kept wandering up the path. The rocks and sand were slightly less red at the bottom of the trail but he could see farther ahead to where they took on more color and he envisioned standing up there, surveying his small accomplishment, and taking a selfie or two for documentation. Maybe he could convince another hiker to take a picture for him to gain some perspective on how big the arch actually was.
The hike was a fairly steady climb, but Nick felt pumped and eager to tackle it. He passed a couple of older folks, who looked to be making slow but steady progress and nodded a greeting with a quick exchange of good wishes.
His new boots seemed to be serving him well, and he briefly looked down, happily noting they had a nice little layer of dust coating them. As silly as it seemed, such a little thing already brought a sense of accomplishment to Nick’s mental state of being. It reminded him of something he’d read on one of his social media sites: that nature was a place to just be, where you wouldn’t be judged or placed in a box, where everyone was equal and the elements treated everyone the same way. Those words held a power that Nick was only just beginning to realize.
Nature was a place to reconnect, recharge, and feel that sense of wonder that your problems were left behind. If you took the time to find yourself through nature, you might discover something new about yourself, and for Nick, taking those first steps and ascents of the hike up to one of the most iconic natural arches in the world, felt truly empowering.
He was in the middle of living, not just being, and that made all the difference to his outlook.
Even though it was still early and the sun was still low in the sky, Nick began to work up a sweat. He’d always loved a good workout during baseball season and seeing as how he’d taken almost two months off from physical exercise, it felt great to get his body moving and his heart pumping again. He could feel the burn in his hamstrings and quads as he neared the top of the steep rock face. He remembered from his readings that it wouldn’t be much farther and after a slightly nerve-wracking walk on a narrow ledge of the trail, he looked up to realize he’d made it.
He hadn’t wondered if he’d be unable to make it, after all, he was a young, fit man who participated in regular organized sports, well, kinda, but none of that mattered. The fact was, that he’d made it. He’d set out from Oregon only weeks prior, without ever having done anything on his own or really accomplishing anything at all, to moving two states away all by himself, living on his own, and successfully planning and enacting his first solo trip of exploring his world.
He felt like he could shout from the top of the cliff that he’d made it. The last few months and all his worries about Cory, their friendship, his own sexual identity… All of it just melted into the background. He’d seldom felt more present in his life and the feeling was exhilarating.
He found himself staring in amazement at the wonder and beauty and true magnificence of the arch that stood before him. It was such an astounding thing to realize what nature was capable of and that such a thing had been standing there, against the elements, for possibly thousands of years. It gave Nick a new perspective on the little things in his life. And the sentiments he’d remembered earlier took on an even sharper clarity; he was both humbled and inspired by his surroundings.
Pulling out his phone, he snapped several pictures of both the arch and the surrounding rock formations. He managed to find lots of good places and angles to snap his selfies and finally approached a man and woman to ask if they would take his picture from a few different places. They happily agreed and Nick reciprocated, taking several of them in return.
The upper landscape was also very beautiful and Nick spent about half an hour just wandering around and taking it all in. But, in time, more and more people were starting to ascend the top and he figured he’d better get on with his morning. His phone indicated it was only a little past nine, but the line of people heading his way meant the rest of the park was most likely filling up as well.
Nick spent another few quiet moments in reflection as he surveyed his surroundings and finally took his leave, making the hike back down to his car in much less time than going up had taken. His legs felt a bit wobbly by the time he made it down, but he figured he’d recharge and grab a snack before tackling the next, even longer hike.
Heading back out to the main road, Nick turned in the direction of the second hike and arch he’d most anticipated seeing. While he drove, he made sure to drink about half of his water bottle so he’d stay plenty hydrated. Even though it wasn’t that hot yet, the day was just beginning and temps were likely to approach one-hundred degrees again.
There were a lot more cars in the second parking area, but seeing as how it was at the end of the drivable roads in the park, the slots weren’t yet full, as people generally started with the closest attractions and worked their way farther into the park as the day wore on. Nick parked and pulled out one of the protein bars he’d stowed in his pack. He munched away while taking in the new sights of his surroundings. There wasn’t much to see along the road, but once he hit the trail, he was going to see several more arches and plenty of interesting rock formations.
He never would have thought of himself as having any interest in rocks or a dry dusty landscape, but it was truly stunning to see what nature was capable of. He’d only known forests and mossy green things that were always dripping with rainwater. Nick had never put any thought into other landscapes as being beautiful. Sure, rain and cloudy skies meant rainbows and lush green vegetation everywhere, but the contrast of a brilliant blue sky against stark rock and red dirt was appealing in a way Nick had known nothing about previously. That knowledge was just one more little piece of the puzzle he was putting together about himself.
How was it possible to know so little about oneself, he mused?
In the past six months, he’d come to realize more about himself and how little he’d ever paid attention to who he was at his core than he ever would have thought.
Six months ago, he’d been the captain of the baseball team, a senior about to graduate, the oldest and most neglected child of Ron and Stacy, best friend to Cory, and a pretty popular all-around guy. But those were titles and surface-level observations, not who he was.
Now, he was a completely different person. Or at least he felt like he was on the inside.
He’d never really considered what actual life would be like after he’d graduated. He was no longer the captain of the baseball team. He was no longer a student at Garden Valley High School. He was no longer best friends with Cory, or popular, for that matter. He was, quite simply, no one—a blank slate set off on his own to figure out his way. And that thought was as scary as it was liberating.
If all the changes that had transpired in his life over the last six months were any indication, he had more than a crap-ton to learn about himself. Would there ever come a time when he could say he knew exactly who he was? If falling in love with his best friend, or if not in love, but in crush with his best friend, was anything to go by, the answer to his question was, no, he would probably never know all there was to know about himself. But little by little, with each new challenge and situation he faced, Nick would come to understand himself better. He already had learned so much about himself in such a short amount of time.
Who knew what the next six months would bring?
That thought bolstered Nick’s spirit and roused him from his mini daydream.
Stowing away his trash and refilling his water bottle, Nick checked his gear and made sure he had his sunglasses and hat. The day was warming quickly and he was already glad for the items.
Once the car was locked, he headed toward the trailhead and made another quick stop at the restroom. He wasn’t averse to needing to pee along the trail but he figured he’d just get it done before that option became necessary.
There were quite a few people milling about and even some families with young children. Mothers slathered their kids in sunscreen while fathers hoisted all their gear onto their backs. Nick found that seeing the families caused quite a few conflicting emotions to rise in his thoughts, but he pressed them down and tried to focus only on being in the moment and taking his next little adventure with a light heart.
The trail was easily found and started out between some of the parks huge “fins,” the shade feeling cool against Nick’s skin. The large sandstone rock formations stood out against the landscape in almost ninety-degree angles. They rose from the ground like the plates on the back of a Stegosaurus and varied between only a few feet high to several dozen feet high and just as many feet wide. But they were randomly interspersed across the land, creating narrow passages and walking paths between them where one could find shelter and shade from the sweltering sun. They were so interesting that Nick wondered how they’d actually been formed and thought about looking for some signage or posted information as he made his way back to his car after his hike.
The first arch on the trail was only a short walk and just off to the right, up at the top of the next fin. There were several people stopped with cameras and phones all pointed toward the scene, but even though the sight was impressive, Nick pushed on knowing the more impressive arches were farther ahead and likely less crowded than the closer ones.
As he continued, the terrain opened up and he crossed an expanse of fairly clear ground. He remembered from his reading that the loop he was starting was quite long and he was supposed to take the loop in a clockwise direction so he could slide down the rock faces instead of trying to scramble up them. Reviewers had said either direction was fine if you were in a group of people and could have someone help you up or down, but if you were hiking alone, sliding down the rock face of any particular descent would be easier to control than hoisting yourself up.
So Nick took the left at the split in the path and he could already see up ahead lots of people stopped at the next arch. It was supposed to be one of the most impressive arches in the park and one of the longest natural arches in the world at just over three-hundred feet. As he approached, people of all shapes, sizes, and ages posed for pictures with the stunningly thin arch in the background. Nick made his way to a more secluded spot and took out his phone, intent on finding the set-up he liked. He took pictures from all around the area and then angled himself to take a few selfies with the amazing arch in the background. It was so delicate looking, that Nick found himself just staring in wonder as to how it had remained standing for all these years.
A nice woman, possibly in her mid-thirties, offered to take some pictures for him and he thanked her warmly before continuing along the trail, intent on beating out the crowds if anyone else was headed farther out as well.
The trail narrowed a bit again as it wound between more fins and Nick knew there were several more arches in the area, but they required time and climbing to get to, neither item he felt comfortable sacrificing alone. But there were still rock formations and smaller arches to be seen from the main trail and Nick snapped pics as he passed by, knowing the day was only getting hotter the longer he took to admire the scenery.
He sipped his water and adjusted his hat and sunglasses, feeling the beads of sweat as they rolled down his back. Even though he was only about thirty minutes into the hike, he was already beginning to notice the unrelenting heat of the sun and thought back to those overprotective mothers he’d seen in the parking area slathering their children in sunscreen. That was one thing he hadn’t thought of and knew he was probably in for one heck of a sunburn.
The next mile or so was fairly varied and went from flat ground to hiking up and walking along the tops of some pretty tall fins with drop-offs along the sides. The hike was the most physically demanding hike Nick had ever attempted. Granted he hadn’t attempted many hikes in his life, especially not alone, but there were other people around and they seemed to be managing alright, so Nick tried to suck it up and press on without whining too much about it.
The red dust and dirt combined with the unusual evergreen bushes and shrubs made for interesting textures along the trail and Nick almost lost his footing once as he was too busy focusing on the striations in the rock layers and the shadows the fins made, instead of paying attention to what was directly in front of him.
He stopped a couple of times to take pictures of some small yellow flowers and weird twisty woody tree things. And he noticed people of all abilities attempting to climb rocks and formations that he thought should be left alone. Even though it would be cool to get some photos from the tops of the fins and in the little pocket formations in the rocky walls, he opted to stick to the trail and do as little damage to the surrounding area as possible.
The rest of the hike to the arch he’d set out to see was beautiful and slightly more crowded than he’d have cared for, and while the weather was only getting hotter, he’d already had about a third of his water bottle.
But as he approached the last leg of the hike to reach the fourth arch, which was actually a double arch, he realized it was approaching lunchtime and grabbed out a granola bar to help alleviate his hunger. Having eaten breakfast at such an early hour, he was really beginning to wish he’d eaten an early lunch instead of his protein bar before beginning the seven-mile loop he’d planned. With the heat and the calories he was burning, a granola bar was probably not going to do much to replenish his energy.
As the trail wound around and between the last fins, Nick saw clusters of people up ahead and the anticipation of nearing the double arch had him taking the last short distance at a quicker pace. From Nick’s perspective, the arches themselves weren’t nearly as impressive as some of the other arches he’d already seen, but the fact that one arch was almost directly on top of the other was pretty awe-inspiring on its own.
