Jacob Hamblin Arch // Utah

 I hiked ~7 miles down Hurricane Wash followed by a scenic creek-way that led to Jacob Hamblin Arch. The hike itself was fairly pleasant desert trekking, and the terrain became more interesting the closer I got to the arch...for example, a giant alcove arched outward above the creek about half a mile from the arch. I made it to the arch in 2.5 hours, then spent about 30-45 minutes exploring the arch and taking pictures from all angles. I'm sure the photography changes during the day based on sun angle. My pictures reflect approximately high noon. I then made my way back up the trail, reached my truck, drove 30+ miles down a dusty Utah road (the road itself is not bad...there are far worse in Utah!), then drove into Escalante for a post-hike pizza and beer celebration at Escalante Outfitters (my favorite spot in that town).

Google map of Jacob Hamblin Arch can be found here. 

Bryce Canyon National Park // Utah

 I spent portions of two days exploring Bryce Canyon National Park right around the start of April. I got to experience a sunset, sunrise, and two different hikes of moderate length. Sunrise was very epic, which I viewed from various positions at Inspiration Point. After sunrise I hiked down through Wall Street via the Navajo Loop Trail, and then branched off onto Peekaboo Loop. Peekaboo is an outstanding trail that I personally feel is a must-do as it offers stunning views of otherworldly geological sandstone formations. Otherwise, Rainbow Point was another good vantage point for sunset/sunrise views. All-in-all Bryce is an awesome park experience, though the crowds were pretty thick, and I can only imagine they'll be thicker going deeper into the tourist season.

A Google Map of Bryce National Park can be found here.