The drive from Canyonlands to Capitol Reef was the most dynamic of my life. After some of the flattest, most deserted land I’ve ever seen, cliffs of all kinds began to surround us. In one area, the cliffs became deteriorated to the extent that they looked more like huge mounds of concrete. Amazingly, some of the steepest of these had tire tracks all over them from adrenaline-addicted off-roaders.

Pulling into a canyon we began to see the river and an oasis of trees and grass that led us into Capitol Reef National Park. There is history here – mysterious petroglyphs and some ancient tools tell us that Native Americans lived in this valley long ago. And from the late 1800’s until 1969, when the area was made a national park, a group of about ten Mormon families lived here making up a town called Fruita (for the orchards they planted). The orchards are still here, filling the lower areas with pear, apple, peach, plum, and apricot. Deer and turkey roam the fields while robins nest in the trees. We can hear the sound of the river from our campsite and can climb rocky trails up out of the valley and onto the desert ridges for postcard-worthy views.

Since our arrival we haven’t done much hiking. We’ve relaxed into the tranquility and expect to stay awhile. We’ve even talked about coming back to work as camp-hosts. The only problem we’ve had here is a complete lack of connectivity and we are currently planning an afternoon trip into the nearest city for some internet and phone time.

I’ve also been struggling with my lack of routine and am starting to think about making some daily and weekly assignments for myself. Though the freedom to be spontaneous is very nice, sometimes I feel like I’m aimlessly floating around. But maybe that’s a feeling to embrace and explore?