TURRET ARCH, viewed northeast toward South Window, part of which is visible on left. Small opening on right is visible also in [figure 38]. Largest arch is 39 feet wide and 64 feet high; smaller one is 12 feet wide and 13 feet high. A still smaller one, not visible in the photograph, is 8 feet wide and only 4½ feet high. (Fig. 40)
PARADE OF ELEPHANTS, viewed west from end of trail to Double Arch. Two elephants are on right, one on left. (Fig. 41)
After leaving Wolfe’s Ranch, the trail to Delicate Arch crosses Salt Wash on a suspension foot bridge ([fig. 42]). Just beyond the bridge, a short walk to the left (north) leads to the Ute petroglyphs shown in the lower photograph of [figure 2]. The most difficult part of the trail, on bare sandstone, is marked by cairns of stones placed at sufficient intervals to keep hikers from losing the barely visible trail. When the summit finally is reached and the last corner rounded, one suddenly sees perhaps the most sublime view in the park—famed Delicate Arch, framing part of the La Sal Mountains beyond ([fig. 43]). This graceful arch and mighty Landscape Arch ([fig. 53]) were considered to be in serious jeopardy during the era of sonic booms, but hopefully this danger now is past. (See p. [16]-[17].)
It may be of interest to shutterbugs that professional photographer Hal Rumel lugged an 8- × 10-inch camera plus a heavy tripod and accessories up the steep trail to get the excellent photograph of Delicate Arch shown in [figure 43]. The late afternoon sun intensified the red somewhat, but my shots made earlier in the day using both 4- × 5-inch and 35-mm equipment resulted in unwanted shadows, even though the salmon color of the Slick Rock Member was more nearly normal.
After leaving the junction with the side road, the main park road traverses slices of vertical strata squeezed between faults along the north side of Salt Valley, then gradually climbs out of the valley for about 2 miles to a parking area (stop 19), from which good views are had of the southeast end of Salt Valley and of the grabens in the west end of Cache Valley. (See [fig. 11].)
SUSPENSION FOOT BRIDGE ACROSS SALT WASH, in front of Wolfe’s cabin at beginning of Delicate Arch trail. (Fig. 42)
