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Description
We have been bringing my 10 year old autistic son to Arches National Park ever since he was 4 months old. He has experienced this park nearly every year of his life. At first, he was carried in infant carriers and child hiking backpacks, and then he was toddling around on his own two feet (he actually took his very first steps in nearby Canyonlands National Park!), and for the last several years, he has been leading the way on longer and longer hikes. The Tower Arch hike is one of his favorites, and he looks forward to it every year. On our most recent hike, as I watched him scramble on the rocks from my vantage point beneath Tower Arch, I noticed how small he looked in this grand landscape, but also how much he was blossoming. From this same exact vantage point, I have watched his confidence and sense of self continue to evolve over the years - the scenery may have changed little over this time frame, but the child in it, while forging his own path, has grown in so many ways.