“Men come and go, cities rise and fall, whole civilizations appear and disappear-the earth remains, slightly modified. The earth remains, and the heartbreaking beauty where there are no hearts to break....I sometimes choose to think, no doubt perversely, that man is a dream, thought an illusion, and only rock is real. Rock and sun.”
Edward Abbey (1927-1989) may be southeastern Utah’s most well-known spokesman. He traveled and worked in canyon country before paved roads, before Arches became a national park, before the mining town of Moab transformed itself into a tourist mecca. Ed Abbey despised industrial tourism; ironically his non-fiction book, Desert Solitaire, received critical acclaim and introduced countless travelers to the magic of canyon country.
Arches National Park in southeastern Utah is a geological treasure. A vehicle-friendly park, its wind-carved arches and brilliant red rocks may be viewed without leaving the comfort of your car. But... if you'd rather not cheat your senses, leave your 4 wheels behind to walk beneath massive spans of rock, to breathe the sage-scented air, to gaze at the azure sky.
The park is heavily visited much of the year and hordes of tourists can detract from the eye-popping scenery. Tim and I visited Arches one snowy, fog-shrouded day and, in our own Desert Solitaire moment, had the park to ourselves. These are the images from that January day:
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| Park Avenue. |
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| The view from Park Avenue overlook. |
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| Juniper in the snow. |
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| Striking a pose in front of balanced rock. |
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Don't try this in May—you're likely to be flattened
by bumper-to-bumper traffic. |
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| Clearing skies reveal the contrasts between snow and rock. |
Have you been to Arches National Park? Do you have a favorite hike or cherished spot in the park?
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.
▪ Earth Apples: The Poetry of Edward Abbey (1994)
