Elegy for an Arch

[davidbcoe]

On July 30, Nancy, the girls, and I hiked the Devils Garden Trail in Arches National Park.  We got up early to avoid some of the heat (at least as much as you can in the Utah desert) and took all of the side trails so that we wouldn't miss a single arch.  It was a terrific hike -- six miles or so through some of the most beautiful country you can

Comments

[mikandra]

Did you know that when London Bridge collapsed, a young couple were trapped all night on the bit that became an island? Imagine how lucky they were!

[davidbcoe]

I remember reading that people were trapped out there and that they had to be rescued, but I didn't know they were there overnight. Amazing.

[arhyalon]

This is much like the collapse of the Old Man in the Mountain, which, for years, was the symbol of New Hampshire. (It's even on their quarter.) If you have not seen it, it was a rock formation that looked like an old man's face. I visited it as a child several times. The founder of my church even wrote a poem about it, siting how enduring and eternal it was.

In May of 2003, it collapsed and is now gone. I had not been there as recently as you were at the Arches park, but my feelings were similar.