1/19 - I awoke early in darkness. Today I had a plan for an early morning hike to Hickman Natural Bridge, a natural arch at the end of a short trail in Capitol Reef National Park. The hotel I stopped at for the night was conveniently just a few miles away from the park, so I ordered pancakes from the hotel restaurant as soon as it opened.
While I stuffed myself with the fluffy pancakes and satisfied my caffeine addiction with coffee, a vibrant and intense sunrise took shape through the window. I found myself getting anxious and impatient waiting to pay for the check so when I finally got on the road, I was speeding in the bone-chilling early morning cold. The more I drove, the more the sky lit up. I began to talk to myself.
"You gotta stop somewhere now, dude."
I stopped at the first turnout I could find and sprinted up a hill for a better view of the sky. The heavens were on fire. This was the most intense sunrise of the trip because the entire sky lit up. I photographed until the sun rose over the Henry Mountains, satisfied that I caught some excellent images and feeling gratitude that I could witness this incredible scene. I then took my time driving to the Hickman Bridge trailhead.
The trail to Hickman Bridge is relatively short, about 2.5 miles round trip. It starts at the side of the Fremont River and then climbs up the cliff. Considering this was winter and the recent snowfall, my trekking poles came in handy on this icy trail. I soon reached the arch, a massive span that made me feel small. I did feel some energy here, but nothing compared to Delicate Arch, Double Arch or Monument Valley. At one point I began speaking out loud to a point on the rock wall, asking it if it was the spirit that guarded this arch.
I had the trail and arch to myself the entire time. I spent several minutes just sitting in silence, meditating. I eventually returned to my car, ready to continue on my journey back west.
I wanted to drive Utah State Route 12 again, this time in better weather. The first time I drove SR 12, half of it was in decent conditions, but the second half was in a snowstorm. This time I drove over Boulder Mountain again, this time marveling at the views that eluded me during the heavy snowstorm. From one vista point on the highway, you can see for miles looking towards the Henry Mountains. The red cliffs of Capitol Reef were impressively visible.
As I continued along Boulder Mountain, I wondered how the hell I successfully drove that road in a snowstorm. The thought made me laugh out loud because my bravery - or stupidity - helped me accomplish something. I didn't let the snowstorm hold me back. I still should have installed my snow chains or, at the very least, waited a few hours to leave my cozy motel room in Boulder.
But I retraced my steps from just a few days before. I drove through the Escalante River Canyon and found the trailhead to more well-known arches and a waterfall, and eventually stopped for lunch in the town of Escalante. This little town becomes a ghost town of sorts in winter because not nearly as many tourists such as myself take this route this time of year.
From Escalante, I approached Bryce Canyon National Park again, wondering if I should stay there for the night so I could get a sunrise photo from the rim. As I drove through the park, however, it was snowing heavily, so I accepted to myself that I should keep heading west. I was at the point of my trip where I was ready to go home, having had more than enough excitement and wonder for two weeks.
From Bryce Canyon, I drove through more small towns and windy mountain roads shrouded in snowstorms. I reached Cedar City after racing along Interstate 15 for a short time. From Cedar City, I turned west on minor state highways, the kind of which run straight forever through featureless, rural countryside. After driving through even more snowstorms on narrow, two-lane roads, I became fried for the day. I tapped out and stopped in Caliente, NV for the night in a small motel where my room welcomed me with a rank odor of stale cigarette smoke.
After ordering fish and chips from a local restaurant, I settled into bed inside this old-fashioned and tired room, and enjoyed episodes of "The Office" on the small television.
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