I have an incredible travel partner. We have been on so many once-in-a-lifetime adventures it can be hard to keep track of them. She is a gifted planner who can string together the details on the most complex trips. But I had an idea for a trip that she would hate. So I set off on a solo adventure.
The plan was to head west into the American Southwest. I started with a destination for my first three nights and would improvise from there. My vehicle? A “naked” Jeep—no top, no doors.
Big Bend National Park
My first night on the trip was spent in a Texas state park campground. It was not at all what I hoped it would be. However, my first night in Big Bend National Park was exactly what I was looking for. I stayed in a remote, primitive site with just a bear box to store food and one neighbor. I set up, explored the desert around the campsite, and wrote in my journal for the first time. I love this quote: “I am sitting in the only shade around for miles (my Jeep) on a sweltering day, ~100 degrees and very dry, with horseflies buzzing around my head, and I am happy!”
The neighbors were a father and son out exploring the parks. They suggested a couple of good hikes and shared some travel tips. A simple meal of beef jerky and soup cooked on a camp stove was enough to call it a night.
Night photography is one of the things that brought me to Big Bend, but the moon made it tricky. I had to get up at 4:00 am to see a fully dark sky, but the pictures turned out pretty good, so it was worth it.
I woke up with the sun and began to explore the park. My first off-road experience woke me to a new aspect of the national parks. Driving down the Old Maverick Trail, I couldn’t believe there was this much beauty hidden down this dirt road. The moment brought a tear to my eye and was the first awe-inspiring moment of my adventure.
The trail ends near the Saint Elena Canyon. Hiking up the canyon with 1,000-foot-high vertical walls was another high point of the park. The pinnacle of my hikes at Big Bend was the Lost Mine Trail, which delivered a great view of the other side of the Chisos Mountains.
After hiking and lunch, I decided not to spend another afternoon trying to avoid the 100-degree sun and cut out a day early, heading north with no clear destination.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
I drove four hours, “camped” at a hotel, and then headed to Carlsbad Caverns. This park delivered way more than I expected. With each stop of this trip, I am more impressed with what our government has done to protect these treasures. Exploring the caves and learning about how much is still unexplored again brought me to that state of awe—feeling like there is so much more to the world than we can ever understand or experience.
I am amazed by how “present” I was for this entire trip. I often struggle to be in the moment but found that not to be the case when driving, hiking, or exploring on this trip. I was consistently living in the “now.”
White Sands National Park
While driving over the mountains in the Lincoln National Forrest I was mesmerized by the clouds hanging low over the ground on the far side of the range. Not until I was well down the range did I realize those clouds were not clouds but the white sands of the park. While I could explore some of the dunes, most of the park was closed due to the crash of an F-16.
Prescott National Forrest
After working my way west via Las Cruces, Tucson, and Phoenix I spent two days and nights alone up in the mountains. Discovering how much of the country can be enjoyed by simply finding a campsite seems like a huge discovery. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the National Forests are beautiful protected lands with simple rules about camping. I am so glad I figured this out! I ran into two gentlemen who worked for the forest service at a cafe in Prescott and they pointed me to a great campsite. I enjoyed two days of almost complete solitude with only a handful of sightings of other people. I also started to feel proud of myself for getting out to do this. I will admit to being a bit afraid of camping alone like this in the wilderness. That was part of what drove me to do this crazy trip. I hate having fear stop me from doing anything!
I then took a few days to go and visit my son and his girlfriend in Colorado Springs and work for a few days.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Who knew there was so much sand so far from the ocean? Climbing to the top of High Dune was the immediate recommendation of the park ranger. I have never lost the urge to climb any hill, so up I went! The main selling point of the climb is that from the ground, all you see is the “wall”—the first line of dunes that are only the beginning of the dune field. From the top of High Dune, the entire park opens up and you see the full dune field. I rested on the summit, watching people figure out how to sled and snowboard on the dunes.
The ranger recommended a BLM campsite nearby. It delivered an evening with a spectacular view. This vista had me pondering what I was doing on this trip. I found myself feeling much heavier when working than when I was out in the wilderness. I now had the next 11 days off and planned to be as much in the moment as possible.
Arches National Park
Moab in my Jeep was a bucket list kind of stop. It is one of the legendary destinations for four-wheeling experiences. This trip helped me realize that the four-wheel experience I enjoy most is taking in the stunningly beautiful corners of the world that most people can’t get to. A park ranger pointed me to some BLM land to find a campsite and while I decided to camp a little closer in, I loved just driving around in the remote desert. The views over Arches National Park and the Manti-La Sal National Forrest were spectacular. I think this is my favorite picture from the trip:
The hiking in Arches was a bit people-y, but still some of the most beautiful. I very much enjoyed my day exploring the park. Hiking up to the Partition Arch was my favorite moment. The hike was not too challenging but climbing up a stone ramp was a cool way to get there! Once you make it to the arch you can sit and take a break inside Partition Arch. There was shade, a breeze, and a fantastic view of the entire park.
My base of operations for these two parks was at the Horsethief Campground. A Forrest Service campground with a pretty spectacular view. This was a tiny area of the campground that was only for tents. While setting up I met my neighbor, Mark, and we discovered that we live about two miles from each other! Mark was on a solo motorcycle journey from the Dallas area to California with many wanderings along the way. As we enjoyed a cup of coffee he shared his adventure stories of riding his motorcycle from Texas to Tierra del Feuego and across India. While feeling in awe at so much of the natural world around me, this conversation reminded me how often I get that feeling when hearing travel stories. I am inspired by people who imagine and then realize their unique adventures and Mark’s were awesome!
Canyonlands National Park
I was starting to figure out how to make reservations and find the parts of the national parks that required a permit. The Whtie Rim Trail at Canyonlands is a 100-mile loop around the Island in the Sky section of the park. a handful of campsites along the road are issued via lottery. With part of the trail flooded out, I was fortunate to get a permit to camp along the trail.
The drive down the first part of the Shaefer Trail delivered mountain-hugging switchbacks and incredible views. A detour down into Lathrop Canyon brought me to the shore of the Colorado River. Some of the best four-wheeling of the trip! After a few hours of bouncing around I was at the Airport Tower, my home for the night. I had expected crowds. I was in the national parks and school was out for the summer but I only saw a handful of vehicles in my two days on the trail. One moment driving out the second day I pulled over to look at a vista of the Colorado River and could not believe how much beauty was spread out in front of me. The idea that I was the only person in the world experiencing this gave me goosebumps and was now one of the many moments of awe I had experienced on this adventure.
Exiting the park, I followed the second part of the Shaefer Trail. While most of it is outside the park, it still delivers stunning views and great driving time.
Capitol Reef National Park
This park was not on my radar but my mother and some other travelers had recommended it as a stop. A couple of great hikes and a remote campsite made it a great stop. Hiking Chimney Rock and the narrows of the Grand Wash were a great way to get a sense of the park. The ranger pointed me to a five-site campground, Cedar Mesa, that rarely filled up about 10 miles down a dirt road. It was a great place to camp with just a couple of neighbors. Driving out she had recommended going ever further south and cutting west via the Burr Trail Road. I loved this drive! The switchbacks up the mountain were fun and beautiful and then the drive out through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was breathtaking.
The drive continued down Highway 12, another trip with multiple recommendations. I am running out of good words to describe how these views made me feel. Awe, wonder, goosebumps, and sometimes even like I was punched in the gut. These are the feelings I was chasing and missing in my day-to-day life.
Bryce Canyon National Park
I hate the top of Bryce Canyon in the summer! This was by far the most Disneyland-feeling stop I had made. People milling around in the gift shop and riding buses to look down into the canyon was not the experience I was looking for. But once I punched through all that making a mad dash through the crowds down any trailhead into the canyon, I returned to that state I had been experiencing most of the trip. 10 miles or so of great hiking were needed as training for my next park!
After all these days outside, everything about me and with me was filthy so I took a hotel day in Cedar City, UT for a shower and laundry before heading to my final park.
The Grand Canyon
Just a few days into the trip I stumbled upon a permit to camp for one night inside the Grand Canyon. This had become the summit I was pursuing. Driving me to hike and climb more to ensure I was physically ready. I had no idea what I was getting into but the National Parks talk about how many people get in trouble here. I took getting ready for it seriously. My permit was to camp at the Cottonwood campground and I would be starting from the North Rim. It was a little under 7 miles and 4,200 verticle feet. I camped at the North Rim Campground and had a great afternoon hiking the Transept Trail. This was my first day walking with my fully loaded backpack and I realized I had too much shit. On the trail, I came across some interesting campsites on the canyon’s edge. I met one of the campers, Teva. She was in the process of walking the Arizona Trail—800 miles from Mexico to Utah. Her story of setting out on such an epic journey alone immediately opened my mind to doing more. I again found myself feeling in awe.
I started my journey into the Grand Canyon at 5:00 am on the North Kaibab Trail. It was still cool as the sun began to light up the sky. Walking into the canyon, I had the the most spectacular show of the sun and the stratification in the rock delivering a kaleidoscope of colors. While it was not a crowded walk-in, I was amazed by the people starting their rim-to-rim hikes. I was not far along before I knew I would be coming back for my own.
I stopped at my first rest station and realized I was nearly there! I had covered almost six miles in 2.5 hours so I enjoyed a few minutes of rest and swapped stories with the other hikers. I met a man who was on his 26th crossing. Arriving at my campsite a little after 8:00 am it felt like I was in for a warm day. The temps were forecast to be well over 100 degrees and there was very little shade in the campsites.
When I arrived I met a woman about my age, who looked exhausted and confused. As she shared her story, I again appreciated how this trek could be dangerous. She had stared at the South Rim with friends. She was so exhausted that she did not leave with her friends in the morning and instead walked through the night arriving at Cottonwood about the same time as I had. She felt like she needed to be rescued. A couple of other campers and I convinced her to sleep and figure out her options after some rest. The rangers provided her with some food and arranged for her to spend the night at the campsite and she planned to walk out the next day.
I walked a bit further down the trail and took a long soak in the icy water of the creek near the Rainbow Falls. Just a few feet off the trail I found a great sense of solitude while dropping my core temperature. The day in the canyon was surreal, lazing around, eating beef jerky and trail mix in the sweltering heat…near the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
There were short naps, fun conversations, and more time in the river. I fell asleep before the sky was fully dark.
I was up at 3:30 the next morning to beat the heat and on the trail by 4:00. My first time hiking with a headlamp and meeting people who started their walk at midnight helped me appreciate what this trail meant to so many people.
The strata of the rock was not just a background while climbing up. Climbing through brown, green, grey, red, and back to a new brown, the changing colors marked my progress. I found myself more able to appreciate the scenery on the way up. Coming down every step was an opportunity to slip and tumble. While climbing, the steps were harder but felt more stable. Each step brought cooler temperatures, so welcome after a warm night.
Many waling rim-to-rim start at the North Rim so when I was climbing out, I ran into quite a few people starting their cossing. After meeting so many, I have a question. Why does everyone with an Apple Watch think I want to know how many miles I have left that day? If I wanted to know, I would ask. Your big stupid watch is easy to see.
I finished my hike just a little after 8:00 am. As I sat drinking liter after liter of water, I met another person who inspired me. A retired school teacher was just about to start his hike much later than most. He was not in bad shape but did not have the physique of athlete. Putting on his tennis shoes he shared his plan. He would walk to the South Rim, have a meal, and return. He planned to hike over 50 miles, nearly 10,000 feet of vertical ascent in 38 hours. He had done it before and managed to do it by simply walking slowly.
I had a huge breakfast at the North Rim Hotel and felt I had the energy to start my journey home.
Heading Home
Driving down Highway 89A was another highlight of the trip. I love driving my open Jeep in the desert. The desert landscapes on this road were some of the best. I stopped for gas at a place stuck in time 30 years ago and then drove hours through Navajo and Hopi lands.
This drive was a perfect way to close my adventure. I felt in awe and inspired by this incredibly vast area of beauty. I also felt tiny. This space that felt so huge, was just a fraction of a fraction of a percent of what this world has to offer. And this world is a grain of sand floating in an unimaginably huge universe. I love feeling this small. It brings my problems and worries to the scale where they belong. This allows me to wonder at the magic and majesty of the world.
