Over the years in Moab, we’ve started to form a community. Much like the community I formed in Boulder, CO, it began with time spent outdoors but has evolved into one beyond that with the outdoors as a base underpinning.
On a recent weekend, it seemed no different. We saw some friends a month or so away from a well-deserved retirement. And a place that just so happens to be next to an outdoor area we cherish, too.
With the potential of a government shutdown and not knowing the status come Monday, seeing friends is fortuitous timing.
We planned an outing of camping and hiking while meandering in the canyons.
Despite the peak season, we camped at a spot we had to ourselves, which we knew of from previous outings. And if the place did not have grandeur a #vanlifer may find intriguing, the solitude, location, and morning and evening light show certainly made it a satisfying basecamp for our use.
We made it in the earlier morning hours to wish our friends good luck, exchanged info, and then headed down into the canyon. In the morning hours, we only saw two people.
I felt a little embarrassed as my normal voice is a bit loud by non-East Coast standards, and I apologized when they rounded the corner near the start of the hike. (I also like to remind Joan that my middle brother called me the “quiet and sensitive one” among my brothers and cousins. A few years later, Joan is still unsure what to make of that statement. Ha!) But that’s the last we saw of people for the entire day.
We soon reached the canyon bottom, moved away from the well-known path, and took out the handy binoculars to see what we could see more easily.
And we continued to see world-class scenery among the nooks and crannies of the canyon, with many signs of the people who lived here previously.
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The longer we live in this area, the more we realize how much there is in each bend of the canyon wall.
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We hiked out of the canyon, enjoyed the cold beverages waiting for us in the truck, and returned to our quiet camp.
The following day, we entered the same area differently and enjoyed a viewscape from a different angle.
After making our way down the route, we made it to an impressive panel that, though faded, had much intricate displayed.
But a nearby structure proved the most fascinating place with a vibrant red display about the ancient door.
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We exited the canyon via an old road, and, not to our surprise, we found evidence of travel on this old road as an even older path.
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Another fine weekend in Canyon Country and another one where we continue to find gratitude for the life and community we’ve established in Canyon Country.
