The sun is about to set in Utah and we’re sitting at the base of Delicate Arch writing these posts. It is definitely another “pinch me” moment of RTXIX. And we’re only on the fourth day.
The day mostly consisted of the drive from Denver to Moab. It was smooth and easy. Our first stop was the Visitors Center at Arches to briefly reconnect with Ranger Mike and grab our Fiery Furnace permit for tomorrow. It’s so nice to see him, especially after a year apart. He has the best afternoon planned for Ellie tomorrow, but Ellie has sworn us to secrecy. She wants to be one to share every moment of it with you. So, be sure to check back tomorrow!
We headed into the town of Moab and got an oil change. Because, well, circumstances. We picked up cheese, apples, crackers, hummus, and carrots for our picnic dinner at the City Market and checked into our hotel before heading back to Arches.
We hiked up to Delicate Arch and it felt so good to be back. Ellie was beaming with excitement and it was palpable. She was just giddy, bouncing along the trail, talking nonstop about what we were seeing. Her heart is so full in this place. Arriving a couple of hours before sunset, wasn’t our original plan, but it worked out just perfectly. We had more than enough time to simply be. Taking in the views of the majestic arch, the La Sal mountains, the sky, the ever shifting clouds. As the sun slid below the horizon, the colors of the landscape became indescribable. I challenged the family to name a color we couldn’t see. No one could. Except Zak, who said murple, which we all know isn’t a real color. We soaked up every last moment we could before starting the hike back. The temperature dropped and the stars appeared as we headed toward the car. It was a perfect end to day 4.
(I know there are a thousand pictures there, but we took so many tonight. I haven’t had the chance to go through and weed out the bad ones, so you get to see them all. 📸)
