Even if they don't know it, everyone has seen and knows of Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Words cannot describe it - it is a visual communication!
It's nearly impossible to take a bad picture of this arch with its orange glow, the sweeping formations in the background and profound sense of space and peace when you are there. But I wanted my own take on it and my own image that conveys what I experienced while there.
While people add scale and a reference, that is not what I wanted. Since it is such an iconic place not all that far off the road, there's usually quite a mob of people enjoying it.
So in my mind there was no personal conflict or hesitation; it would be an early start! At 4 AM, there would be no people there! So I rousted my wife way before sunrise and off we went. A half hour from the campsite and some stumbling along the trail in the darkness, and there we were.
Yes, it was cold, but not too bad, there was no wind and the fresh crisp smell of the mountain air made it a pleasant hike.
This was literally darkness before dawn as we waited for the sun to lighten the sky and then create that signature glow of the arch. And, hard to believe, there was virtually nobody else there!
I didn't have any regrets getting up so early, even though it wasn't really needed. I loved simply sitting and soaking in the sunrise through to its full glory.
If you can't make it to Mesa Arch, at least you can get this as a mural size image! It does tell the story of that view far better than any words!
