Heading Toward the Middle of Nowhere
Ian and I “officially” started our road trip on “The All American Road” highway 12 in southern Utah. The road weaves through a series of National Parks and Monuments. Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef and Grand Staircase are desert fairylands for the tourists mostly observing these sites out the window, but for myself, they are the most roughed and wild landscapes I have ever laid foot on.
Our first stop (but not our last) is Zion national park, which lies in the southwest corner of Utah. A geological wonder so intense it takes your breath away. Red sandstone layers line every angle of the road. It is the type of drive where you swerve all over the road because your eyes are so fixated on the intense landscape. But to truly experience such a brilliant place is through the mountains drainages, the Canyons. Water is the mastermind behind shaping this place into a maze of intimate corridors. Between the soft structure of the rock and the immense power of flash floods, narrow canyons lie hidden in the mountains. Our goal is to explore these treasures.
Canyoneering ranges in technical difficulty, from walking on a flat riverbed with slow moving water to rappelling hundreds of feet through waterfalls then swimming in water recently filled with snow melt. We prefer the latter. Ropes, wetsuits, harnesses and belay equipment provide us the means to explore the canyons. To enter the drainages you must first walk through the desert, more specifically the ‘slickrock.’ Slickrock is the term used for sandstone formation, yet it is not slick, rather it is like sandpaper. The rough landscape of sandstone domes cover the majority of the landscapes until you arrive to the mouth of the canyon and an emerald green paradise welcomes the weary traveler. Shade covers your shoulders and you are now at the mercy of the water course. You start descending the gravity fed route and soon you are trapped between two walls of red and golden streaked sandstone. The walls tower so high dark consumes the already unworldly experience until streams of light filter through the narrow opening from above. The canyons meander, leaving unknown obstacles around every corner. The water course may lead you to a 150 foot waterfall to rappel off then to a 15 foot waterslide then to a boulder jammed between the two walls leaving you to climb over and drop onto the other side. There are also mandatory swimming sections in water so cold it takes you breath away. I compare the adventure to a real life video game. The days are long from 3 to 10 hours of constant motion and scrambling your way through roughed terrain. Unfortunately many of Zion’s canyons are closed due to the high water flow of the Virgin River, but we promised ourselves we will go back for more.
More stories of backpacking and canyoneering in the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument, camping along the Grand Canyon, and exploring the expanse of the Colorado Plateau will be coming soon. Many highlights of the trip so far, but seeing a lecture by Craig Childs, a famous natural history author, is among the best. He taught me this- once you experience these desert landscapes and the sand runs through your blood, the place becomes intrinsically apart of you now and forever.
