Zion - Hidden Canyon's arch

Last year I hiked this trail with Lynne and somehow totally missed this arch along the way.  Felt like a real dumb-head. I wasn't going to be satisfied until I did see it.  I tried to go up there earlier this year, but there was so much ice on the trail that it was totally out of the question.  Walking up was bad and walking down was even worse.  So, I decided this would be my get out of school celebration hike.  I just have to keep celebrating and celebrating even though I love school.  Anyway, today after getting a bunch of other stuff done I got a late start to go up there.  I got behind a very timid driver who wanted to go 15 under the speed limit.  I was not too polite and pretty much rode his tail.  There was a long line of cars behind me that I know were feeling the same way and that double yellow line kept me from getting around him.  Finally he got annoyed enough with me that he pulled over and let us all past!  I'm not usually so awful...I hope.   Then the park was so full of cars that you had to park outside.  Luckily I did find a space just outside the entrance and did the walk in thing and caught the shuttle up to Weeping Rocks where the trail begins.  I finally got on the trail at 1:10 pm.  Even though the park was crowded, there really weren't all that many people up where I was going, so it was just fine.  I got to the arch at about 1:50.  It is really a neat little thing.  I got someone going by to take a pic of me there so I can prove that I finally found it!  I could only go a little bit further because they had the trail blocked of due to some species or another.  If there hadn't been a load of people at the end to see me do it, I probably would have kept on until I couldn't go any further.  It does turn technical later from what I have read.  I headed back down and on the way ate lunch up on a rock above the trail.  It was only about 82 and shady in the canyon and there was a breeze blowing, so it was very nice.  On the way down I went over to Weeping Rocks since I was right by it.  It was very pretty with all the water "weeping" down and lots of plants green and blooming.  Then it was back to the shuttle and heading for home.  Got behind another slow poke - I guess all these out-of-staters are here to enjoy the scenery and I should be more patient.  I was able to go around them eventually and made it home close to 5 pm.  It was such a nice day.  Not as nice as if Paul had been there of course.  If anyone wants to do this with me, I would be happy to take them. It has a few places where there are chains to hang onto, but it is not scary.  The info I found says this:  "2.2 miles round-trip to the canyon entrance.  Another half-mile to the arch and then most people continue through the canyon about .6 more miles."  The elevation gain is 1000 feet.  I breathe pretty hard on the way up, but it is lovely on the way down!

The little white spots on the upper right pic are actually water drops falling down.  The yellow flowers are Golden Columbine.