Mountain ranges scattered throughout the high desert of southern Utah provide an excellent opportunity for off-the-beaten-path excursions. Located near the towns of Monticello and Blanding the Abajos make up one of these ranges. A translation for the Spanish word “Abajo” is to go “up and down” and that’s what you’ll do while traveling the paved road through these highlands, which climbs up to 10,500 feet from Monticello and then down again to 7000 feet at the access road to Canyonlands National Park.
During the winter season though—in years with ample snowfall—the paved road over the summit is closed. On a January day Tim and I drove into the Abajos until our path was blocked by piles of snow. We strapped on snowshoes and left our vehicle behind while traipsing through the aspen and pine-covered hills.
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| Small mountain ranges offer relief from the high desert landscapes. The town of Monticello (our starting point) is to the east of the range. Map courtesy of "greatwesterntrails.org". |
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| The 32 mile drive to Blanding, on a dirt road, is a scenic byway in this national forest. It obviously wasn't open to vehicle traffic on the day we were there. |
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| Aspens frame our off-the-beaten-path adventure. |
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| It's sunny enough for another of our "shadow shots" on the glittering snow. |
At dusk we traveled toward the tourist mecca of Moab and were treated to a sunset/moonrise while driving north along lonely Highway 191. The setting sun cast a pink glow over the La Sal Mountains as the full moon radiated yellow/orange off the red rocks.
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| Sunset highlights the LaSal Mountains on the road between Monticello and Moab. |
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| A full moon rises over red rock country. |
This jaunt may have lasted only a few hours but it delivered everything a winter’s journey should: blue skies, exercise, marshmallowy snow, and a movie-quality ending.
If you’re ever in southeastern Utah and you need an escape from the desert, consider a scenic drive through the Abajo mountains. Find information by visiting this website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mantilasal/recreation/natureviewing/recarea/?recid=73228&actid=64
