Today's journey starts at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. The Wasatch guard the Salt Lake Valley with snow dusted peaks. We thoroughly enjoyed our week in SLC. It is congested at times, but the mountains and vast desert landscape make it have the best of city and wilderness; the city has hundreds of recreational trails and activities within half an hour (not to mention skiing, and more skiing). In the past week we explored Antelope Island, Park City, Downtown SLC, Dead Sea Scrolls and hiking. We also enjoyed 'city sights' that we do not have in Bozeman (a mall - a major mall, In & Out Burger - first time trying out this west coast favorite, and $4 movies at Cinemark). That being said we are ready to move past the city lights into the great unknown of Utah's unvarnished wilderness, a land of deserts, mountains and canyons.
It was a four hour drive to Cedar City from Salt Lake City. The scenery on this stretch of I-15 is stunning and diverse to say the least. The topography is defined by wide open spaces and rugged, arid mountains that soar over 11,000 feet towards the east, with desert for hundreds of miles to the west (the Great Salt Lake Desert then the Escalante Desert). After living in Montana you accept the fact that some places are so close to heaven in beauty that words cannot describe the sheer magnificence of the place. I feel this way about Utah's wilderness as well. We are humbled by nature, it is so sweeping and detailed that you linger in the wonder, grounded by faith and scenery. Your senses and perception magnified as your feet hit the ground and your eyes get lost in a flawless blue sky.
Between the towns of Fillmore and Beaver on I-15, the 45-65 mile per hour desert and mountain air crashed into hard forceful wind, so strong that I struggled to hold the road. Luckily my experience driving in Montana/Paradise Valley where winds breach 55-85 miles per hour helped me get through the stretch. The winds swelled so much that the dust from the plains that the entire mountain range was covered in minutes in clouds of dust, a hazy fog; giant tumbleweed galloped across the highway at full speed, barely missing our car on numerous occasions.
The mountains shifted from the rocky, forest covered Wasatch to the red hued high Markagant Plateau as we neared Cedar City. Cedar City is actually home to junipers, which were used for numerous medicinal reasons by the Navajo.
Cedar City is a vibrant town located in the southwestern corner Utah on the precipice of the roaring mountains and canyon country. It is a hub for recreation, arts and education. Cedar City is home to Southern Utah University...it is nicknamed Festival City, hosting Groovalicious Music and Arts Fest and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. The primary draw to Cedar City. It is only twenty miles to Cedar Breaks National Monument (which is at 10,000 feet and the road is still closed a few more weeks - in spite of the 75 degrees down at 6,000 feet) and Parowan Petroglyphs and 68 miles from Zion National Park (Kolob Entrance is closer).
After checking into our hotel, my mom and I explored the town; we stumbled across a beautiful parkway...we were thrilled to hike 3 miles in the tepid 68 degree weather with blue sky and sun. The trail delves into the canyon (it is a flat paved trail), surrounding by fire red guardian towers of stone.
The towers of stone stand like canyons of ancients, each line of stratification a testament from the past, you can nearly make out faces in the stone, guardians of this land, protectors of old in the mythology of this place. As the wind whistles through the canyon you are haunted by the echo of its song.
We leave Cedar City tomorrow onward to Zion National Park tomorrow.
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