Unearthly Utah
History, geography, and cultures of Southern Utah explored on a bicycle
When we picture our planet Earth, we usually think about lush green forests, tall white mountains, vast blue oceans, or icy regions of the poles. But rarely do we think about high-altitude deserts. That might be because we tend to view deserts as largely unexplored, barren lands with barely any resources to sustain life. Or so we think.
The high-altitude desert ecosystem of southern Utah which is part of the Great Basin defies all of our expectations. Think deserts are dry? Flash-floods are possible at almost any time of year here! Think deserts are barren? The winter snowpack is usually sufficient to support temperate forests in the low-lying areas. Think deserts are life-less? There are several different types of insects, reptiles, and mammals that call this place their home. It gives a whole new meaning to the word “desert”.
To explore this largely off-limits land from within, I traveled on my bicycle through various unpaved roads of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, Dixie National Forest, and Capitol Reef National Park. During my week-long journey, my path crisscrossed tall pink cliffs, deep red canyons, bright white stone hoodoos, chocolate-colored hills, flat yellow plateaus, and dense green reefs.
