Nearly
three years ago, I left the east coast and headed west to start life anew. Two
years after ending a six year marriage and a few months following the end of a
year-long relationship, I was ready for a change.
My
first year in Denver proved to be one of continued trials and tested my will
and strength more than I ever imagined it would. Despite being one of the
toughest years of my life, it was also a year of growth. During that year, I
hit some of my lowest lows battling anxiety and depression, but I also learned
that I could be successful in conquering even my fiercest demons.
After
living in Colorado for nearly a year, I decided to take a solo trip to explore
Utah, and maybe find a little more of myself. I signed up for a half marathon just outside the Zion National Park and planned my trip around that. Friends and family certainly pushed
back on my decision to, as a single woman, pack up my car and drive thousands
of miles for over a week to places I had never been and doing so alone.
There
is no doubt it was a little scary. There are millions of things that can go
wrong on a trip, with or without people with you. It can be infinitely scarier
doing so without backup.
But
if I had let that fear stop me, I never would have fallen in love with Utah as
much as I did. I probably would not have gained even more confidence in myself
either.
While
in Zion, I was able to meet up with some old friends who were also there for
the half marathon. I camped inside the park and they stayed in town. After the
long drive from Denver, it was refreshing to see people I had not seen in so
long.
Prior
to meeting up with my friends, I was able to hike the trail up to Angel’s
Landing. It was a bit drizzly that day and towards the top, it started to snow.
The last thousand feet or so of the hike to the top of Angel’s Landing is
certainly not for the faint of heart with not much more than a chains anchored
into the side of a cliff keeping you from falling to certain death. With rain
and snow, I was not about to take the chance and decided I had gone far enough.
Although, even about a thousand feet from the top, the view was still one to
behold.
After
the race the next day, I said goodbye to my friends and headed to Bryce Canyon National Park the next morning. The two parks are maybe an hour and a half or so apart, but
worlds different in topography.
Bryce
Canyon is at a higher elevation than Zion, and as I later learned, can get a
substantial amount of snow in early April.
Again,
I camped in the park. I picked a campsite towards the back of the campground.
After I set up camp, I realized there was a trail next to my campsite. Of
course, I decided to see where it went and walked up the trail a short way to
find I was camping at the edge of the canyon next to the Rim Trail. The view
was breathtaking!
The
weather changes quickly in the west, and I had become accustomed to checking
the weather regularly. After setting up camp and realizing the access I had to
the canyon, I decided to check the weather again. Clear skies for that day, but
the next day snow was forecasted for the entire day.
So,
I decided I needed to take advantage of the time I had and I set out on an
eight mile hike through the canyon. The trail started along the rim with views
of such a vast canyon and countless hoodoos. This was like nothing I had ever
seen!
After
a while, the trail went down into the canyon and I was able to see the world
from an entirely different view. In a
world like that, you realize just how small you are and how insignificant
certain things are in life. The world and nature is so much bigger than any
problem life can throw your way.
Following
the hike, I decided to get a drive in to other parts of the park knowing that
the weather would prevent me from doing so the next day. I drove to and stopped
at every overlook I could, taking in as much of this unbelievable landscape as
possible.
The
temperature dropped below freezing that night and I was thankful for warm
clothes and a warm sleeping bag. It was still not quite warm enough. The next
morning, I awoke to a winter wonderland. I got dressed and walked up to the
edge of the canyon to find it had changed overnight and was even more beautiful
covered in snow.
Knowing
that it would be snowing for the remainder of the day which would have
prevented really any additional hiking, I knew it would be best to shorten my
stay in Bryce Canyon and head to Moab a day early.
On
the drive to Moab, I, again, passed through a section of I-70 I previously
traveled on the way to Zion. On the drive to Zion, I passed through that
section before sunrise and in a snowstorm. This 100 or so mile section of I-70
is remote. There are no real rest areas, no gas stations, no towns, no stores,
no cell signal – nothing. I had no idea what this No Man’s Land looked like,
until the drive to Moab.
Again,
Utah took my breath away. My mind could just not wrap itself around the
vastness, the openness, the beauty of a desert. I truly felt like I was on
another planet.
That
feeling only continued once I arrived in Moab. I found a campsite along the
Colorado River, set up camp and started my exploration.
My
first stop was a drive through Arches National Park. It was later in the day,
so I knew I would not have time for really any hikes. I just wanted to get a
feel for the park and see where I should go first the next day.
Of
course, the next day, my first hike was to Delicate Arch. This is probably the
most well-known arch in Utah and it showed by how many people were already on
the trail early in the morning. The hike to the arch was not necessarily long,
maybe two or three miles round trip, but the first section is pretty steep. It
was certainly worth it.
From
there I did a few more short hikes in the park and then decided to drive to
Canyonlands National Park, which was about 30 miles away.
Yet
again, Utah left me breathless. At that point, I had never been to the Grand
Canyon. Canyonlands was the closest I had ever been to something of that size
and it was impressive. The grandeur of rocks and holes in the ground was proven
to me that day.
While
in Canyonlands, I also hiked to Mesa Arch and Upheaval Dome for more proof of
the immensity of nature and the triviality of most of my problems in life.
Upon
returning to my campsite, I also learned that the desert is not the best place
for tent camping, especially on a very windy day. Despite having my tent
completely zipped up and the rainfly on, the combination of winds and powder
fine sand resulted in nearly an inch of sand inside my tent and all over my
bedding.
By
that time, I was losing daylight. I took everything out of the tent and shook
it off as much as possible. I took the
tent down completely and shook it out, but by then, it was completely dark.
This was one of the times on the trip I did wish I had a companion to help out.
Knowing
I was only five or six hours from home at that point, I decided sleeping in my
bed sounded like a fantastic option. So, I packed everything else up and
started driving back to Denver.
Although,
the five or six hour drive back ended up taking me far longer and resulted in
more lessons about the volatility of the weather in the Rocky Mountains. A
snowstorm moved in on my drive and Vail Pass was closed. There was no way
around, unless I drove a two-lane road almost all the way to Leadville and then
back down to Copper Mountain to bypass the closure.
I
opted for the bypass. It seemed like a good idea at the time. In hindsight, it
probably was a terrible idea. Snow and ice, narrow mountain roads, inexperience
driving in those conditions – all of these made for a very, very stressful
drive. I was certain I was probably going to die, but at least I would have
died in the mountains.
Thankfully,
I conquered the wintry roads and made it home safe around 3am. And that was the
end of the trip that made me fall in love with Utah and myself again.
Since
then, I have been back to Moab countless times. I have seen even more of Arches
and Canyonlands. I have mountain biked, run, gone 4-wheeling in a RZR. I have
met some truly amazing people which has made each trip back even better than
the last. While I have not been back to Zion or Bryce Canyon yet, I will plan a
trip back there as soon as possible. Until then, I will visit Moab as much as I
can.
That
first trip to Utah, though, will always hold a special place in my heart.
Experiencing such a place on my own was unforgettable and something I will be
grateful for and proud of the courage I had in order to accomplish it alone.
