Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch is a freestanding natural arch located in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, USA. Download high resolution version (1496x1134, 286 KB) From [1]; see also the Commons (Media:Delicatearch. ... Download high resolution version (1496x1134, 286 KB) From [1]; see also the Commons (Media:Delicatearch. ... Rainbow Bridge was formed by a meandering watercourse. ... Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations. ... For other instances of Moab, see Moab (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

It is the most widely-recognized landmark in Arches National Park and is depicted on both Utah license plates and a postage stamp commemorating Utah's centennial anniversary of statehood in 1996. The Olympic torch relay for the 2002 Winter Olympics passed through the arch. Taj Mahal Big Ben Saint Basils Cathedral Azadi Square in Tehran For other senses of this word, see landmark (disambiguation). ... // Introduction A license plate, number plate or registration plate (often referred to simply as a plate, or colloquially tag) is a small metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle for official identification purposes. ... A selection of Hong Kong postage stamps A postage stamp is evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services. ... A centennial is a 100-year anniversary of an event, or the celebrations pertaining thereto. ... The order which the original 13 states ratified the constitution, then the order that the others were admitted to the union This is a list of U.S. states by date of statehood, that is, the date when each U.S. state joined the Union. ... The olympic flame at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics The Olympic Flame or Olympic Fire is a symbol of the Olympic Games. ... During a relay race, members of a team take turns swimming or running (usually with a baton) parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. ... The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were held in 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. ...

History

Because of its distinctive shape, the arch was known as "the Chaps" and "the Schoolmarm's Bloomers" by local cowboys. It was given its current name by Frank Beckwith, leader of the Arches National Monument Scientific Expedition, who explored the area in the winter of 1933-1934. (The story that the names of Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch were inadvertently exchanged due to a signage mixup by the National Park Service is false.) Categories: Stub | Natural arches ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ...

The arch played no part in the original designation of the area as a U.S. National Monument in 1929, and was not included within the original boundaries; it was added when the monument was enlarged in 1938. In the 1950s, the National Park Service investigated the possibility of applying a clear plastic coating to the arch to protect it from further erosion and eventual destruction. The idea was ultimately abandoned as impractical and contrary to NPS principles. Navajo National Monument Devils Tower National Monument Statue of Liberty National Monument Fort Matanzas National Monument A National Monument is a protected area of the United States that is similar to a national park (specifically a U.S. National Park) except that the President of the United States can quickly... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For morphological image processing operations, see Erosion (morphology). ...

Geology

Delicate Arch is formed of Entrada sandstone. The original sandstone fin was gradually worn away by wind erosion, eventually leaving the arch. Other arches in the park were formed the same way but due to placement and less dramatic shape are not as famous.

The Hike to the Arch

The Delicate Arch is located at the end of a moderately strenuous, 1.5 mile (2.4 km) hiking trail from the parking area at Wolfe Ranch. Taking more than an hour each way, the round trip is slightly more than 3 miles long and the Arch is completely hidden from view on this trail. Taken from the Delicate Arch Trail Head description in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. ...

The first third of the hike is through rugged, brushy terrain and gains slightly in elevation. The middle third of the hike is along the face of an exposed slickrock outcrop and is strenuous due to the gain in elevation, but offers better views of the geology in the salt valley. Cairns (piles of rocks) have been placed by visitors and park staff to roughly suggest the otherwise unmarked trail to the top, yet visitors tend to wander all over the huge expanse of completely exposed sandstone. The latter third of the trail is the most rugged, as hikers have now nearly reached the "top" of the plateau. The Arch is still invisible, and the trail runs around outcrops, through washes and between stands of twisted brush and trees. The trail may be easier to follow, but meanders as parts become muddy and difficult to walk through. During the 2004 fall season, the trail clearly followed the left (northern) side of the plateau, and brought visitors along a narrow shelf nearly 150 feet above a dry wash. The Entrada Sandstone was deposited in the Colorado Plateau, Colorado, USA, during the Jurassic Period somewhere between 180 and 140 million years ago. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... For other uses, see Cairn (disambiguation). ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ...

The arch comes into view suddenly around a corner in the trail and frames the La Sal Mountains to the southeast. The immediate area around the Arch offers views of the southern expanse of the park, and has unguarded cliffs plunging one hundred feet or more. La Sal mountain range as seen from Arches National Park First snow in La Sal Forest The Manti-La Sal National Forest covers 1,413,111 acres (5,718 km²) and is located in the U.S. state of Utah. ...

Wildlife

During the summer months, White-throated Swifts (Aeronautes saxatalis) nest in the top of the arch. Binomial name Aeronautes saxatalis (Woodhouse, 1853) The White-throated Swift (Aeronautes saxatalis) is a swift of the family Apodidae native to western North America, south to Honduras. ...

Controversy

In May of 2006, climber Dean Potter made the first recorded free solo (no ropes, or protection) ascent of this formation. Under the rules active at the time, climbing Delicate Arch was not explicitly forbidden; however, it was understood that the named arch formations should not be climbed. Since that climb, the Park Service has closed the loophole by disallowing climbs on any named arch within the park year-round. Also, slacklining and the placement of new fixed anchors on new climbs is also prohibited. Controversy erupted when photographs taken after Potter's climb appeared to show damage caused by a climbing technique called top roping. Potter has stated on several occasions that he never top roped the Arch and no photos exist of Potter using a top rope setup on the Arch. It is possible that a previous climber had top roped the Arch leaving the rope scars.^[1] Top roping is a style of climbing in which the rope runs from the belayer at the foot of the route through a carabiner connected to an anchor at the top of the route and back down to the climber. ...

Gallery

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1704 × 2272 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 1600 pixel, file size: 443 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Delicate Arch, File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1494 × 1120 pixel, file size: 229 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Delicate Arch: taken at sunset, 2005-09-04. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 3. ... Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Utah, USA. CREDIT: Jon Sullivan. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

References

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Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Emblem-important. ...

External links

• Arches National Park Trails Page
• Arches National Park homepage

Coordinates: 38°44′37″N, 109°29′58″W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...