Utah National Park Ensemble

areibot
Jan 15, 2017
4 min read

"The enjoyment of scenery employs the mind without fatigue and yet exercises it; tranquilizes it and yet enlivens it; and thus, through the influence of the mind over the body gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigoration to the whole system."

Fredrick Law Olmsted

To seek the vastness of nature is to humble ones self.

Often times I do not mind an arduous trek up steep altitudes if the results end in spectacular views, that both puts one's problems into perspective: minuscule. As well as give one's self a feeling of victory to have laid eyes on nature's artwork.

In 2017, I managed to travel to Utah, despite the fact that I've become so sloth-like post holiday parties and post-pre-licensure, nevermind the minus one Fahrenheit temperature, dipping below temperatures that my native Californian body is accustomed to, nor the near death experience that would follow on the 3rd day of my Utah vacation, when a white truck felt it safe enough to be a hero and accelerate on icy roads at 6am in the morning, missing my headlights just by a second before sliding into the safe abyss of Hwy 15's grassy shoulder. Yes, I survived. In some morbid sense, I was thankful for the driver's heroic act as it quickly changed my mind about accelerating and attempting to get to my destination faster that cold morning. All of a sudden, going 25 mph on an 80 mph highway would suffice adding an extra 2 hours to my drive to Arches National Park in Moab, Utah.

Rewind, Day 1 was Bryce Canyon National Park. The stone formations reminded me eerily of the alien termite compounds found in the movie Pitch Black win Vin Diesel, yes that movie--was--legit. Here, you will find a swarm of snow-topped, Hoodos, a term used to refer to the eroding, spire-like pillars of rocks that blanket the mountain side.

Might I say that the iPhone's performance during cold weather is pathetic. Do not rely on your iPhone to capture cold weather memories and spectacular views. The 3 shots above of what people call the Amphitheater of Hoodos, were taken at just over 80% battery life before my phone decided to retire and hibernate from the winter subjected to it.

Day 2 was the neighboring State Park just 20 minutes away from our hotel in St. George, Utah. Snow Canyon was amazing, a definite prelude before our trip to Zion the following day. Here my sister and I attempted to traverse the canyon looking for a particular petroglyph hotspot that only people who are more adventure savvy and cold-weather resilient would find. We failed, but to be treated with the image below would suffice as we followed the Gila trail to it's beginning, middle, and end. Yes we were confused with the trail's location described to us by the Park attendant.

"Follow the paved highway for quite sometime," she suggested. 15 minutes into our hike, we realized that we were probably on the wrong trail. A 3 hour attempt to find the trail that would eventually lead us to the petroglyph ended at a rock formation near a quaint ranch and what looked to be housing development infiltrating the natural curb appeal of the park. These were 3 identifying landmarks that was mentioned on blogs by adventurers before us.

My sister and I knew, that should we have pushed against sunset and ignored self preservation instincts, we would have eventually found it. Instinct and darkness overcame us.

Zion National Park, veiled by the pregnant clouds sends a moody yet beautiful image to it's winter adventurers. In retrospect, I wish I had a more capable camera with me to capture the waterfall line cascading down this mountainside as we drove up to meet the our trailhead.

This experience was probably the most rewarding as I hiked up a moderate trail in the rain, shoes were muddy, slopes were singing with the pitter-pats of raindrops overhead and over the distance, the baritone roars of the river that has carved it's way down the canyon. Never have I felt the exhilaration---adrenaline, as I rushed and ran behind an angry waterfall, unrestrained from the mountain above to nourish the grounds below. It was incredible, an experience that beckoned me to return in warmer weather when I have more time to walk through the Narrows and reach the park's greatest peaks.

The overture of this trip ends in Arches National Park. The long, 5 hour drive turned into 7 hours due to the weather and icy roads. Icy roads that missed it's chance to claim myself and my passenger's lives. The state's collection of rock formations that defies gravity in some cases and leaves the mind in the gutter with phallic looking spires--- I was thinking, mother nature, in its beauty also rejoices in humor. Humor that was much needed after the near miss on the highway that morning. Gimmicky, perspective photos were abound as we finished the last stretch of this vacation.