Unique Utah

In Utah the canyons run deep, whilst the mountains stand tall. The temperatures sore during the day, but plummet at night. Water is scarce, but sand is not. It really is a place of extremes; insufferable at worst, but the ultimate playground at best. If you have even the slightest interest in climbing, cycling or hiking then this is the place for you.

Most outdoor enthusiasts start their tour of Utah in Moab, home to Arches National Park and the Canyonlands. Although no more than thirty miles of land exists between them, the topography of these places couldn’t be more different.

We spent our first day in Arches, where we got to explore the rock formations that earned the area its name, although I believe ‘Jurassic Park’ would be just as fitting. It genuinely felt like I was in dinosaur territory, I half expected to see a t-rex walk out from behind a boulder, but thankfully that didn’t happen. As far as landscapes go, Utah definitely offers some of the most unique we’ve seen on this trip.

Our second day was a little more treacherous than the first, which made it tons of fun for the first two hours, but an ordeal for the five that followed. Instead of adhering to the paved roads, Lucan took us onto a dirt track as soon as he could. At first, ‘White Rim’ seemed like a tremendous idea; we got to skirt around the mouth of a canyon on a single lane dirt path, before taking a series of steep switchbacks to get us into the crevasse itself. It was at that point that we probably should have opted for the road out, instead it took us five hours to travel fifteen miles. That’s three miles per hour! We quite literally could have walked faster, and probably would have done, had it not been 41 degrees. It’s also massively unfortunate that for some unknown reason I woke up that morning feeling very sick. For future reference (Lucan), off-roading is not the solution to an unsettled stomach.

We heard from many people that Monument Valley was not to be missed, and so we missed it. Instead, we followed the advice of some other travellers, who, like us were doing a tour of the US. In their humble opinion Valley of the Gods was exactly the same landscape, with far less people. Since they are only ten minutes apart, we assumed that they couldn’t be all that different. After passing the ‘Welcome’ sign we saw only one other car, which added credence to the advice we’d been given, and permitted us to stop and start as we liked.

After almost a week in the desert, the foliage of Bryce National Park and Dixie Forest appeared like a mirage. With no warning, the land suddenly changed from dust to grass, with trees sprouting up all around us. With lots to see, we opted to stay overnight, and continued our exploration in the morning, when the skies weren’t so dark and the wind wasn’t blowing so hard. Luckily this gave us a chance to find ‘Inspiration Point’, which is no misnomer.

In my opinion we saved the best park ‘til last. Zion is without doubt one of the best National Parks in America. Although quite big, you only actually pay to enter a very small portion; and whilst this might seem counter-intuitive, you understand as soon as you cross the threshold. What greets you on the other side of the admission hut is a world of wonder, almost impossible to describe. In the heart of the desert flows a river which is powerful enough that thousands of acres grow green. Pools of emerald coloured water are hidden by trees, creating a refuge for humans and animals alike. Whilst we were there, it was so cold that people were wading through the river in their drysuits, but in the summer, the temperatures get so high that people jump in barefoot and walk for three miles through slot canyons. If only we’d been more prepared, then maybe my photos would show what lies beyond.

The photos that follow are random ones that I snapped whilst on the road. I apologise for the lack of order, but they were just too good to omit, so enjoy...