Living Water
The desert southwest. An epic land of canyons, mountains, deserts, and … water. My wife and I had long planned a camping trip to explore these vast expanses. As we pored over maps and online resources, our timeline expanded to encompass over 3 weeks of adventure. Our focus was exploring “The Grand Circle” with special attention paid to “Utah’s Mighty Five”: Arches, Canyonlands, Zion, Bryce, and Capital Reef.
We anticipated seeing multihued rock layers, expansive vistas, and starry night skies. We were not disappointed. One thing we did not anticipate was the prominence which water would play throughout our journey.
We were continually reminded to carry plenty of water. To stay hydrated. We did. Water comprises approximately 60% of our bodies. Earth is 71% covered by water. It contains 332.5 million cubic miles of water, most of it in the oceans, polar ice caps, and groundwater. Water cannot be created or destroyed, merely changed from one form to another i.e., the water cycle. The beauty, fragility, power, stillness, and dynamics of water impressed us at every turn.
Water played and continues to play a major role in shaping the many arches at, you guessed it, Arches National Park! The hike to iconic Delicate Arch is not for the delicate. It is a 3-mile round trip stroll over sunbaked slickrock. Stay hydrated. The last part of the trail includes some height exposure. These Wisconsinites felt welcomed there, as the inner shape of the arch strongly resembles the outline of Wisconsin!
At Canyonlands, we truly felt we were on an “Island in the Sky,” surrounded by vast, untracked canyons carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers. The historical cowboy artifacts and Native American petroglyphs at Cave Spring offered mute testimony to the absolute necessity for a reliable source of life-giving water.
We’re marching to Zion! Water, water, everywhere, and plenty to drink too, if you came prepared. Stay hydrated. We did, both internally and externally! The waterfalls were beautiful. The Emerald Pools were relaxing. The flooded, muddy Virgin River held a raw, untamed beauty. The Narrows is a watery hike up a, wait for it, narrow canyon. When we were there, it was rightly deemed off-limits by the Park Service due to excessive flooding caused by an unusually large and quickly melting snowpack. Flooding in this area has claimed the lives of numerous hikers over the years. Water gives life but can also end it.
Not that we had favorites, but Bryce was our absolute favorite. Lingering snow on some formations (early May) was like frosting on the cake for us. Flood damage had closed the Navaho Loop, so we opted for the Queen’s Garden and Peekaboo Loop, over 7 miles in all. Switchbacks, sore knees and horse droppings. All worth it for hoodoos, tunnels, and the Wall of Windows. We stayed hydrated.
Finally, Capital Reef. A land of contrasts. Rugged canyons, lush orchards at Fruita, ancient petroglyphs, historic homesteads, a spartan schoolhouse, huge old cottonwoods, narrow slot canyons, and expansive overlooks.
When we began our journey, we expected that “rocks” would form the foundation of our adventures. Counterintuitively, it was “water” which dominated our thoughts and experiences. El agua es vida. Water is life. Thus, we learned. Thus, we experienced. And we stayed hydrated.