“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:
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?
Learn more about Arches and the town of Moab by visiting these websites: http://www.discovermoab.com/archesnationalpark.htm and http://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm
When in Moab be sure to visit one of my favorite independent bookstores: Back of Beyond Books.
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)
