Corona Arch

With a big hike planned in the next few days, we decided to get out for a little practice. So, we headed back toward our Jeepin' route and headed up the trail to Corona Arch. The three-mile trail starts out with a quick climb, which provided a clear look back to the Colorado River, the parking area and some awesome BLM camping spots that we'll remember for our next visit to Moab.

Just beyond the trailhead, Paul registered us on the trail. We're not really sure what is the purpose of signing in. But, we definitely wanted to be accounted for.

The trail crossed the Potash railroad spur, which looked particularly striking this morning.

Paul and I are in a contest to see who can get the best flower shots. He's way ahead in the competition. That said, I think this is a strong contender. Don't you?

This hike is listed in the guides as "not difficult". However, we knew it featured some "equipment", which made at least one of us a little nervous. Here Paul tackles the first set of cables. We both agreed, they were a breeze.

Later on, this ladder looked scarier than it really was.

Finally, this second set of cables made a fairly steep climb all the more manageable.

After all that work, we got our first glimpse of Corona Arch.

Along the way to Corona, we caught a colorful glimpse of Bowtie Arch.

Somehow, we managed to get ourselves on the high side on our approach to Corona. It was a steep decent from that point next to the base of the wall.

Corona Arch features an opening that is 140 by 105 feet. Anyway you look at it, it's impressive.

In the morning light, the best view of Corona Arch was found after walking under and past the span. We enjoyed a snack in the shadow of the arch, then headed back toward the Jeep. Along the way, we met up with a gentleman and his grown daughter from California. We enjoyed our chat with them so much that the return route seemed to go twice as fast as the approach. That's one of the unexpected pleasures of hiking in such a beautiful place!