Arches National Park, Delicate Arch hike

We did a very quick trip to Utah over a weekend in late September, mostly to take advantage of an early appointment for the Global Entry program available on a weekend day at SLC, and since we were there, we took a very quick trip to Arches National Park. It's a pretty long drive from Salt Lake City, down I15, across on US6 and then I70 to US191 to Moab. The interstates are the usual, but US6 is an interesting road that goes over a couple of mountain passes, but also with long flat stretches. It's well surfaced and has two lane passing sections regularly interspersed for those caught behind slow moving traffic -- lots of trucks and people with trailers on this road, at least on the weekend -- and otherwise pretty fast traffic flow. I was quite impressed with Utah roads and drivers, especially on US6 -- the road was well surfaced, and drivers kept good following distances and were pretty consciencious at keeping left except to pass on the passing sections. Would see that in California where practically everyone keeps to the fast lane no matter what! We stayed in Moab. What most tourists see of it (which is what we saw) was the main commercial section on the highway, and it's not much to see. Lots of motels, gas stations, restaurants and such. For most people, it's a place to sleep and eat, so not so bad. The next morning, we got up early given advice to get to the Delicate Arch trailhead parking lot early. We arrived around 7:30am and were 3rd car in the lot. It was still pretty cold; some frost still evident. The hike is really nice, and at 1.5 miles each way, relatively short. The park guide calls it "longest trail" and "strenuous", but if you're in a modicum of shape, it's pretty easy. It starts out a well surfaced gravel trail until reaches a short uphill section, which then goes down and back up to a massive rock slope. The slope is not steep, but it is the longest uphill stretch and the most strenuous part of the hike. It's pretty cool to walk on though, and cairns mark the way. Early in the morning, we were the only ones on it, and a bit of route-finding was needed; later in the day, a constant stream of people coming and going, so then, it's less adventurous feeling. After the climb, the trail meanders through some rocky/sandy portions before entering a beautiful amphitheatre, which marks the beginning of the final section. This final section climbs gradually up the side of the rocks leading to the bowl in which the Delicate Arch stands. About half way up this section, there is a small arch/tunnel in the rock above the trail, to which you can scramble up to. This arch/tunnel provides a framing viewpoint of Delicate Arch. Continuing on the trail, you finally get to the lip of the bowl to behold the arch. To enter the bowl, you must be able to descend some somewhat steep rocks, which stymied some older folks while we were there, but even if you can't negotiate those rocks, the view is already fantastic. Once in the bowl, you can pose yourself underneath the arch, which almost everyone did. Strangely, some people just came and left within minutes; we stayed for a long time soaking in the majesty of the surroundings. We returned just before noon to a full parking lot. We then drove up to the overlook viewpoint, which has two viewpoints, one from very close to the parking lot, another, 1/2 mile and a steep climb away. From either of the overlooks, Delicate Arch is far away and pretty small. The rest of the park can be seen pretty easily with very short walks from the car, and the whole park can be done easily in one day.