A Tiny Strip of Asphalt In a Wild and Wonderful Land
My birthday is always on the road.
August 8 is my birthday. I don’t make a big deal about birthdays, I have had far too many to get excited about another.
Then again, having one is a pretty good thing.
“I don’t want to be the last man standing,
On second thought, maybe I do…”
- Willie Nelson
I try to be on the road somewhere when this particular day rolls around, and today, 8/8/2024 was no exception.
Being on the road is like coming home to me. Whether alone on my motorcycle or with my wife in our SUV, being somewhere in the American West gives me peace and a sense of grounding.
Birthdays recently have found me in:
Durango, CO
Glacier National Park, MT
Beartooth Pass, WY (2)
Escalante, UT (2)
Carpinteria, CA
We left Brian Head under bright blue skies, but by the time we got to Bryce Canyon, the sky to the east was filling with huge cumulous clouds, and we could see rain in the distance.
Highway 12 is considered one of the most beautiful roads in the world. And it lives up to the hype at every turn.
I have written about this wonderful road before on my Substack.
And for brevity, and because I am quite tired from hiking for photos, I am just going to share a few images from my day.
NOTE: All photos from my iPhone 13Max. I save all my Nikon shots for processing after the trips. My wife appreciates it, and I don’t want to spend time processing while on the road.
The rock formations along the road are simply amazing.
The little town of Cannonville provides a contrast of rugged rock formations and fertile farmland. In the distance is Powell Point.
We spent some time walking around the town of Esclante, making plans for a winter trip there to hike the Escalante River Canyon next February. Gotta get in shape for that.
The road is literally sculpted out of the rock, and with such smooth precision as to astound the casual rider. This is a testament to the mostly young men who built this road through unforgiving terrain. Blood, sweat, and dynamite.
At some points along the road, the landscape looks more alien than earthlike. In the distance is the tip of Powell Point.
The Hogback is a part of the road that rides the ridge along two deep, and gorgeous canyons. This shot of the road gives you an idea of how careful your driving must be. It’s a long way down, and there aren’t any guard rails.
Just the way I like ‘em.
The view west from the Hogback reveals the Calf Creek Canyon full of lush trees surrounded by the rock cliffs, and forbidding landscape.
The photo above shows the textures both large and small that this area presents at every turn.
Within a few miles of the Hogback, the road goes up in elevation to over 10,000 feet on Boulder Mountain. The views are spectacular and you can see the Henry Mountains, and on clearer days, all the way to Navajo Mountain on the Arizona border.
Boulder Mountain is densely covered in Aspens and Pines of many varieties. The contrast between the forest and the endless rock of the Escalante is majestic and beautiful.
As we bunk down for the night, I am happy to have had another wonderful day along the wilds of the Escalante.
See y’all soon.
Hi, I’m Don Giannatti, a photographer and mentor for up-and-coming photographers. You can find me on my website, Don Giannatti, and at my Substack site, where I also publish for creative people.
