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| Hiking | 5.44 Miles |
1,456 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.44 Miles | 5 Hrs 25 Mns | | 1.10 mph |
| 1,456 ft AEG | 27 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I said last year I would never attempt this route again. In the famous words of Britney Spears, oops, I did it again! 
I have been wanting to get to this arch for a really long time and for my birthday wish, I really wanted some redemption. I gathered a group of great ladies to join me this time so I wouldn’t have to torture my husband again.  We did evaluate different routes but ultimately decided that the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t…
And oh gosh, it was just as bad as last time. We had a little snow/hail on the ground in the beginning, but it was quickly melting, so it was all good thankfully. Another of the group had tried and failed this hike prior, due to deep snow.
Anyway, Charity is the fastest of the group so she ended up doing a lot of navigating. I guess it’s a blessing and a curse being the fastest. We were following some minor cattle trails for a bit, instead of sticking to the main route. This was nice for a short amount of time, but it quickly vanished and turned into a bushwhacking nightmare. It was steep with loose footing and thorny bushes everywhere. There was also a ton of deadfall to navigate around. I know I am a dramatic hiker, but I promise this was very rough terrain. Lots of blood was shed.  We finally got our first look at the arch, which rejuvenated our spirits, until we saw what else needed to be done to get there.
The final ascent was incredibly steep looking. Honestly, going up it wasn’t as bad as the bushwhacking as it was a bit more clear. Definitely was breathing heavy when I reached the top though.
Once we got to the top, it was amazing! The views were unreal and the geology was fascinating. The arch itself was huge and just really cool looking. We roamed around the top just exploring for a bit, took some pics and had a snack break before deciding it was time to leave.
The exit was brutal on my knees, but thankfully we had a bit of a better path in terms of the thorns. We did stop by the lower ruins on the exit, but they were really just some crumbling rock piles.
This really is a choose your own path and just make your way the best you can type thing. Although it’s not long mileage wise, it took a lot effort to complete. I did pull a thorn out of my leg today.
Now that I’ve completed the hike, it’s safe to say I won’t be doing this one again.  |
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| Restless between adventures... |
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