Delicate Arch during thunderstorm, Arches National Park, Utah, October 11, 2023

 On Bob's way to Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah for the October 14th annular eclipse, he visited Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. His first closeup sighting of Delicate Arch back in the early 80s is what inflicted Bob with what he calls "spanophilia," which he defines as a condition of loving natural rock spans, which makes him a "spanophile."

During this particular visit to Delicate Arch on October 11, 2023, thunderstorms were passing overhead and the clouds were letting loose of rain periodically. During the downpours, Bob just hunkered down and waited for the rain to stop. Between downpours, he got this wide angle shot with his GoPro Hero 8 Black. This was the first time Bob visited Delicate Arch when it had been rained on.

Remember, it's just not a picture, it's a story.

Delicate Arch and a sandstone amphitheater, Arches National Park, Utah

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Utah sits on the rim of an amphitheater.  This panoramic shot shows that amphitheater plus Delicate Arch.  This arch is at the end of a trail that makes for a 3 mile round trip hike and gains 480 feet from the trailhead to the arch.

Delicate Arch is the symbol of Arches National Park and is such an iconic symbol of Utah that it appears on many of the state's vehicle license plates.

We visited Delicate Arch during a spring break in 2017 and hiked almost all the way around the rim of this amphitheater to get this shot.  This panorama is a combination of 18 bracketed images.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Utah.  This free-standing arch is perched on the edge of an amphitheater.  We hiked about a mile and a half on a mostly uphill trail to get to this view point.  The opening under the span of rock is 64 feet high and 45 feet wide.  This arch has had a number of names in the past including "Cowboy's Chaps," which it kind of resembles.  The snow-capped La Sal Mountains are visible to the left of the arch.

Much of this park consists of Entrada sandstone, which is a relatively pure sandstone that lends itself well to the formation of arches.  Over 2000 arches have been documented with Delicate Arch being the most famous.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!