The Black Arch Adventure

It's no secret that I love hiking in Red Rock country. Specifically Arches National Park.
Because ARCHES!!!
Like. Seriously, I'm obsessed with them.
And I love the energy of the red rocks so. Like...I get totally hyper there and it's an amazing feeling! I can just hike and hike for hours upon hours and it's amazing!! 

I really wish I could go down there more than once or twice a year.
Seriously, if I could afford it I'd be down like every other weekend lol. 

In any case.
This past weekend I was able to go to my favorite place on Earth for a mini getaway from Happy Valley. 

And while I wanted to hike my favorite trails.
I also had another goal in mind.

A goal to see a specific arch up close.

An arch that I'd only seen from a view point like...my entire life.

Which arch is this?

It's called Black Arch.

And my entire life growing up, I've only ever seen it from the view point.

As you see, Black Arch is located in the Devil's Garden area of the Park.
Along the Landscape Arch/ Double O Arch hike. 

And you can only see it, from the top of a fin in a very specific location.
Looking down into the valley below. 

And what does it look like?
A black shadow on the red rock wall.

Like...that's seriously what it looks like, Honestly, if you weren't told it was an arch, you wouldn't think it's an arch. 

In any case.

The Double O arch trail can be completed as a Up and Down thing....or you can make it into a loop.
As there is a primitive trail option that takes you down into the valley and around it, and then up the other side. It's primitive because it's a lot of sand and a bit of scrambling over rocks and such.

But oh so pretty!

And for years now, I've wondered how to find Black Arch from that primitive trail. 

Because it had to be possible.
We would be on the same level from it.
Not on top of the sandstone fins/cliffs looking down to it.

And I had a general idea from a handy dandy googlemap I found.
That listed a bunch of arches within the park and showed their locations.

So I knew that it was just up a valley.
I could see the primitive trail and follow it. 
So I knew that the arch was there somewhere.

But the last time I went to Arches and went Arch crazy....
We decided to skip that particular adventure to find it.

This time however.
That was the main goal.
We would hike the primitive loop and find Black Arch!!

And...interestingly enough when I clicked on the map link again.
To refresh my memory on Black Arches location.
The map had been updated.

To now show the path of the Primitive Trail and label it as such. 
Which allowed me to see more clearly how the path moves.
And where Black Arch was in relation to that trail.

So when we got to that part of the path.
It would be easy to know we were at that part.
And go venture off into the wilderness to find it.

But you know what the crazy thing is about Black Arch?

I've walked that trail like a hundred times. (okay a bit of  exaggeration, but it's ALOT) 

And when we finally found Black Arch. 

IT WAS SO CLOSE THE ENTIRE TIME!!

Like.
LITERALLY
You come to a section of the trail where you Turn Right. 
AND IF YOU TURN LEFT
and wander around ONE FIN

THE ARCH IS RIGHT THERE!!!

AHHHHHH!!!!!!

All these years and we've literally Walked. Right. By. It!!!

Seriously.
All these years and we could stare straight at the arch from the primitive trail and NOT REALIZE IT.

-Mostly because you can't see the arch itself from the trail, but you can see the rock fin it's located in, and when the lighting is just right, see the shadows cast. 

BUT IT WAS RIGHT THERE.
IT WAS SOOOO CLOSEEEEEE

SO VERY CLOSE

AND ONLY NOW WE FOUND IT.

AHHHHH!!!!!!

Seriously guys.
It's crazy.
So crazy how an arch can be there almost literally in plain sight.
And until you see it, been to it, know it's location. 
You are completely blind to it being there!!

There are soooo many arches like that in the park.
Arches where you won't know they're there unless you walk by at the right time of day when the light is shining just right to bring out the arch from the surrounding landscape and highlight it.

Agh.
It was Right. There.

And can I say that Black Arch is amazing up close?
It has such a good feel to it.
And it's located in such a spot where you can walk on both sides of the arch.

If you go behind the arch, you end up in a little shady green gully below the arch, where the walls are black. (hence it's name) 
And in front of the arch, well you can walk right underneath it and bask in the sunlight and the valley right in front of the arch was SOOOO PRETTY!

Like Guys.
This arch is now a top favorite arch.
It's soo amazing.
And I'm so happy I found it!!

I can't wait to go back and visit it again sometime soon. ^^;; 

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi