When I first read about little old Kanab having an annual “Balloons & Tunes Festival“, I couldn’t believe I’d never heard of it before. I mean, I lived in Utah for some 40 plus years. Yet it took me moving to Arizona to find a weekend of adventure up in Kanab. The dark clouds…
Tag: Southern Utah
Petroglyphs & Tanks
The main road through Capitol Reef National Park turns from asphalt to dirt after a few miles. My little car slowly makes its way over until I reach the end of the road and the start of the hike into The Tanks. Towering walls on either side of the trail keep one cool and comfortable…
Capitol Reef from the road…
After hiking the Fremont Gorge trail, I ventured into the empty Capitol Reef National Park to see what my next hike would be. I only had grazing deer to accompany me as I paid the ten dollar entrance fee. A three plus hour drive that started before morning’s light has led me to this point….
The ashes of American Flags (part three)
The third act was here, playing out against the cold red rock on the Winter solstice. I savored the daylight I had left on the open road. I haven’t seen one Wal-Mart yet in these small towns, which frankly surprises me, and my premise for this road adventure. It changes my outlook, solidifies the notion…
solo in a National Park
Only the deer scatter as the wanderer steps onto the Fremont Gorge trail. No other visible signs of life to be found. The sun is shining bright on this December morn in the high red rock desert. He straps on the googles for solar flare protection, and starts walking. Water is hard to ration with…
The Uranium mines of Capitol Reef
“In the 1920’s, raw uranium was ground up and mixed with drinking water or worn in packets in waistbands to cure rheumatism or other ailments.” In the vast and empty expanse of the southern desert, the lone wanderer stumbles upon a warning sign left by a population of yesteryear. He straps on a gas mask,…
The mighty Buckskin Gulch
It was 7 am and the temperature was already approaching eighty degrees. A tiny black snake hurriedly scurries in front of me and disappears into the sagebrush. The morning is silent as I start the eighteen mile trek into Buckskin gulch. The sandstone narrows the deeper I venture. Shadows and light playfully dance against the…
two of Utah’s best slots (part two)
I gather a stone along the way and mark it for my memory jar. Perhaps one day these stones will inspire another to adventure in the great outdoors. I find boulders that need to be climbed in order to move forward, deep pools of rain water that must be waded through, narrow slot canyon walls…
two of Utah’s best slots (part one)
The ides of March brought an unexpected snowstorm to end Utah’s mild winter. The snow and rain only fortified my desire to head down south though, as it was time to hike the slot canyon loop known as Little Wild Horse & Bell canyon in the San Rafael Swell. My route was to complete the…
Time in Losee
Time. We can lose track of it, never have enough of it, even have too much of it on our hands. Really, it is all there is, never ending raindrops on a windshield. I use my time to head out into the wilderness, to a place I first saw two years ago. My how time…