“….to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” – The Organic Act of 1916
In many ways, we live in a town defined by its surrounding public land.
People come to Moab to jeep on the 4×4 trails, ride their bikes on the single tracks, raft on the rivers, hike in the canyons, and climb the red cliff walls that entice millions of people to visit our portion of the Colorado Plateau.
Joan and I met in many ways because of the beauty surrounding us, and our love for this area shaped how we crafted this life we share.
We went to some public lands up the road from us in an almost literal way and wanted to walk along the rims, see a sunset, and savor the lands while we had the opportunity.
We descended from the rim to the canyon floor, walking among the rocks that had shown signs of recent washing out.
The vertical relief from the canyon to the top of the rim almost seems fantastical.
However, the bottom of one canyon only shows more canyons leading further away and to the Colorado River.
We walk along this rim, seeing old cairns from ranching or mining— And signs of even older use.
We find a spot on a plateau with grand views of the river that formerly held this name.
A memorable place to take in Nature’s light show.
A place that Joan encouraged me to express more delight in than I initially expressed.
Joan said to show more enthusiasm. So I did.
We rarely seek out places exclusively for their memorable camping spots, but we did not complain about the views this fine evening.
We had our usual chocolate and cider with rum while looking up another equally impressive starscape above.
We hiked out the following morning and enjoyed some last views deep into canyon country and across to the river.
We approached our climb back out and thought of how busy it would be in a few short weeks.
But the cold and crisp morning air, with some fresh snow on the mountains, reminds us it is not quite spring yet.
We made it back to the top of the canyon, and a short walk later, we made it to our truck and took the quick drive back to our home.
Another memorable weekend in a place we love more, with each night nestled under the stars in a land that’s still open to us.
From Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. A group of excellent allies who help protect our public lands.