Iconic Utah: Delicate Arch

After a few hours relaxing at home this afternoon (read: Aaron watching football, it is still Sunday after all!), Jenni and I packed up a picnic dinner, encouraged the kids again to get ready for *another* hike, quickly helped them finish their Junior Ranger booklets for Arches, and piled in the car to head back over to Arches for the infamous Delicate Arch hike. We first stopped at the visitor's center (before it closed at 5!) so the kids could get their park badges for Arches.

I am not going to lie - my car read *100* degrees while at the visitor's center and I was definitely having second thoughts and flash-forwards to making the kids endure an insanely hot uphill hike to another arch. Sigh. I was also VERY tired from being up since 5 a.m. and being unable to fall asleep when I attempted a nap this afternoon. But I knew this was the iconic hike that everyone says you must do - so onward we went!

Thankfully, as we drove up into the park, the temperature gradually decreased by 7-8 degrees. Jenni had also thankfully remembered to grab the cooling towels for the kids. Of course, it turned out there were no water filling stations at the trailhead so we had to use some of our precious water supply we had brought to wet the towels, haha, enter Erin mentally panicking a bit that we would run out of water and die of heat exhaustion.... but wet towels were a necessity for the kiddos and I do think it worked out for the best in the end!

So as we started the hike, I reiterated that there was no rush, we had time, and let's just take it easy with slow walking and breaks. I also think this worked out for the best and allowed everyone to preserve energy in the hot sun. Soon I pulled away with the two oldest - Grace and Noah - and decided that I would focus my energy on motivating them and keeping us positive! But again, I am not going to lie....when I saw the massive rock we had to climb up in the first third of the hike, I had doubts! But no turning back :) We were going to do this!

Thankfully, the kids were up to the task. My strategy was to set short and achievable goals. So I would pick a spot a little bit up the mountain and we would focus on just making it there. When we made it there, we took a 1-2 minute break. Then again. And again. Until finally we had made it to the top! (Confession: I also motivated with the fact that breakfast tomorrow will be pancakes and sausage and tomorrow will include pool time and possibly swimming in a waterfall. ha) The views from the slickrock looking back at the park were gorgeous.

After the slickrock came some walking through more rocks and the orange sand. I have kinda come to like hiking a bit in the sand. There is something comforting about seeing everyone's footprints in the sand that have come before you, and to add your own!

The last part of the trail was a bit treacherous walking on a narrow path next to a drop off. But I had read a tip online before we came that if the kids just keep a hand on the wall next to them, they will be fine. So that is what we did! 

Finally, we reached it....and it is quite spectacular! Although, I was not prepared for the steep drop offs all around the arch, meaning kids had to stay seated or next to an adult the entire time - no running around. Plus there were probably 100 other people up there in the narrow area. But the kids were so exhausted, we did not have to fight them on this :)

The sunset on the arch made it blaze orange. Aaron, me and Brie also all walked over the arch and stood under it (to do so means waiting in a short line of people also doing the same thing). I was a tad nervous about it because the other side of the arch is a sheer drop off. But we were just super careful :) See if you can find us like ants under the arch!

We also had a delicious lunch (tuna packets and crackers for some, and chicken sandwiches for others, in case you are curious!). Plus delicious crisp cucumbers and carrots Jenni had grabbed. 

Finally, it was time to head back to the cars. Because it would be getting dark before we got back, everyone put on a headlamp, which was super duper cute.

Uncle Aaron had also brought a bag of Reeses Pieces.....which instantly made him the *cool* uncle....

Thankfully, the Delicate Arch trail is well marked!

We just loved watching the sunset even more on our trek back. Although we also discovered another creature in Arches once the sun went down - bats! I think Grace probably screamed "bat!" about 20 times in 5 minutes, haha. 

I loved feeling alive with all of my senses on a sunset hike. As the sun dropped, the weather changed, bugs started chirping, and the landscape completely changed. I kept taking massive breaths of the fresh changing air and thinking it was magic :) 

The last thing we did, I do not have a picture of.....stop on the side of the road in the park on the way back to stare at a GORGEOUS starry sky! You can literally see everything out there because there is no light. The milky way was absolutely gorgeous. I also loved sticking my hand out of the window and staring at the stars behind the dark rocky masses of the park. Something interesting that we found out about the weather after the sun goes down too is that there are sometimes these "pockets" of really cold air. It is so strange!

Good night :) I need rest!