by QT Luong

 Delicate Arch, winter sunset
Canham KBC 5x7, Fuji Velvia,  Schneider Super-Angulon 120mm, polarizer
Forty years ago, Arches was a little-known site with a single-track dirt road. It now attracts visitors from all over the world, many of them photographers drawn to its extraordinary rock formations.  Although I have visited the park half-a-dozen times, turning a corner and finding myself in front of an arch remains a moment filled with wonder at the whimsy of nature.

Arches is a relatively compact park. An 18-mile scenic road with two spurs gives easy access to short to moderate trails leading to the arches the park is famous for. The longest trail in the park is a 7.2 miles loop. If going off-trail to look for new compositions, I always make sure to stay in sandy washes or on slickrock in order to avoid damaging the biological soil crust (cryptobiotic soil). Consisting of soil cyanobacteria, lichens and mosses, the fragile crust plays an important ecological role i...