The first hike to the precipice of Salt Wash’s canyon whetted my appetite for another visit. This second “trip to the edge” had the goal of reaching the point at the center of this WikiMapia aerial view.

As with the first visit, I intended to hike part way on the Delicate Arch Trail, then go cross-country to the precipice. However, this time the cross-country route would go via Jug Rock, creating a big loop. Jug Rock is a lonely sandstone blob about a mile north-northeast of Delicate Arch. It stands in the middle of a featureless plain, acting something like an outpost in the visual wilderness. It is at the center of this WikiMapia aerial view . But why bother with Jug Rock? On trips to Delicate Arch it called to me.

This hike was sweet. Not only did I see new terrain but I also stood atop Jug Rock and reached my goal of the canyon’s precipice. Once I left the Delicate Arch Trail just short of the arch itself, I encountered not a soul.