March 21, 2009

By Tim Briese

7.7 miles roundtrip, 800' elevation gain, 4:30 roundtrip time

After leaving our camp near the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park on Saturday morning Teresa and I drove back to Moab and headed into Arches National Park to hike the Devils Garden loop trail. We reached the busy trailhead parking area shortly after noon and parked our truck among the other hundred or so vehicles there. We headed up the wide pedestrian trail that winds through rock formations northwest of the parking area, feeling a bit over-equipped with our packs, trekking poles, and hiking boots, as we strolled among throngs of casual hikers dressed in tourist clothing. But then again, we planned to hike around the primitive loop trail on our return, and we suspected few of these folks would be doing that.

The first mile and a half of the trail to Landscape Arch was wide and easy, accessible for almost anyone able to walk a short distance. The surrounding terrain was a fantasyland of rock sculpture, reminding us of a much larger version of the Garden of the Gods in our hometown Colorado Springs. We stopped for a customary photo of Landscape Arch, a fragile-looking arch that is said to be one of the largest rock spans in the world. Beyond this point the trail got a bit more challenging, with a fun climb up the crest of a sloping rock fin to a more gentle area above. At this point we took short spur trails to see Partition Arch and Navajo Arch, side trips that were well worth the effort. Back on the main trail we climbed gradually to the northwest for another mile or more toward Double O Arch. Part of this route traversed along the top of an exposed fin for about a hundred yards, presenting a challenge for hikers with a fear of heights, especially today with a vigorous crosswind blowing. We descended into a little basin that held charming Double O Arch, and walked past groups of tourists who were taking turns photographing each other standing in the lower arch.

Just past Double O Arch we turned to the right on the primitive loop trail that would take us back across Fin Canyon to Landscape Arch. Signs warned of rugged and exposed terrain but we deemed ourselves up for the task. The number of hikers we encountered on this route was far less than on the main trail, but still surprisingly many. The trail was certainly rougher, with numerous rock steps and other obstacles, but hardly worse than the trail to Druid Arch we had been on the day before. We took a spur trail into a scenic area to see Private Arch, another venture that was well worth the effort. The trickiest part of the primitive loop was crossing a couple of rock fins on the descent into Fin Canyon. On the first one the park service provided a climbing rope permanently anchored into the rock to assist on a short steep stretch. We found that to be a lot of fun. Right after that the route went up over the top of another fin and descended the other side via a very narrow sloping ledge on an exposed slickrock slope. That spot could be hazardous if the rock were wet. After this the trail was mostly a sandy slog down Fin Canyon and then up out of the south side of the canyon on loose sandy footing back around to the main trail near Landscape Arch.

On the way back to the trailhead we elected to take short spur trails to see Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch. On the way back up the hill from the Tunnel Arch viewpoint we stopped to visit with an elderly tourist from Denver who was nursing an ailing knee, and he inquired of us about what to expect on the trails. We returned to the trailhead about 5 p.m. and headed back to Moab for dinner.

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