Most of the trips that I've taken have been inspired by a photograph that I've seen of a particular place. A photograph that has that "wow" factor that makes me want to see the place in person. The inspiration photo for this trip to Utah was one of Delicate Arch. Not the biggest arch in the park, but definitely located in the most spectacular setting. There are two places from which you can view the arch. One is very distant and not really worth going to unless you are unable or unwilling to hike. The other is reached after a 1.5 mile hike (3-mile round-trip), fairly easy as far as footing goes, but uphill all the way. The view at the end is worth every step.

I got there about 90 minutes before sunset and spent most of them chatting with a very nice fellow from Germany. The funny thing about the Delicate Arch viewpoint is that it, in photographs, it looks like a very remote area. But it is so famous that, if you are there on any given evening just before sunset, you are most likely to be surrounded by several dozen fellow photographers.

I felt very unprofessional with my lightweight Slik tripod, which makes for more comfortable hiking but is not so great at times when a stiff breeze is blowing. There is a large, steep, bowl-like depression just below the arch and I almost lost my tripod down the slope when the wind kicked up.

There have been times when I've seen a place and it has not lived up to what I imagined it to be. But Delicate Arch at sunset was every bit as beautiful, if not more so, as it had been in my mind's eye.