In June, I organized a trip with my in-laws to Chesler Park in Canyonlands National Park. Atypically for the region, we arrived at the trailhead with a blanket of grey clouds and a steady drizzle. We sat in the car for about an hour hoping for a change of weather, but it just wasn't in the cards. Resigned to our eventual wetness, we strapped our packs on and headed out through the falling rain. Worried that the weather might get to someone, I found myself trying to shepherd the group's collective attitude. The chemistry was good, however, and my worries proved blissfully unneccesary.

As we passed Elephant Hill, the first phalanx of needles edged into view through the mist. Each about 200 feet high, the needles seemed to hunch together uncomfortably in the rain. The already otherworldy landscape was rendered even more alien by the reduced visibility and water-slicked sandstone. The strange beauty of the place quickly vaporized my concerns about the weather.

We hiked for three hours through steady rain. We forded rushing streams that would cease to exist in less than a day's time. When we reached Chesler Park, we all felt partially frozen. Spirits were still high, though, and the rain finally stopped as we pitched our tents. The clouds began to break just in time for a spectacular sunset and a dramatic sky. We set out to explore the park with the remaining light and discovered yet another unforseen advantage of the rain: we had the whole park to ourselves.

The next day we rose early in order to see Druid Arch before breaking camp and departing. We hiked all morning through Elephant Canyon before scrambling up the final ascent to the Druid Arch viewpoint. Pictures can't capture the way Druid Arch dominates the canyon. It may not be the largest arch in Utah, but when you're standing there with your neck craned back to see it, it might as well be. The huge mass of rock seems to float weightlessly above the canyon walls.

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