And not the desert with tall rabbit brush, creosote, mesquite, juniper, and so on. Not the desert with slot canyons, hanging gardens, and red cliffs. I mean just desolation.
Dust. Scrub. Thorns and the occasional half-dead cactus. Dry bones and rattlesnakes.
So I went south of Kanab to find the desert.
Sorry, I had to use my phone to take the pictures.
I followed the old logging road that branches off of Highway 89 Alternate. After less than a mile I was out of sight of civilization. I pulled off on a dusty two-track road, and drove for maybe 300 feet. That seemed just fine. I picked a sandy rise and started walking.
I topped the slope and was greeted by the howl and bark of a couple of coyotes. They were just out of sight. A couple of crows or ravens took off with an angry croak when I howled back. The coyotes didn't mind though, and they spoke back to me.
I think the desert gives us a forced meditation. There's not a lot to see, so it doesn't take long for conversation to turn inward. One starts to think pretty long thoughts about life, happiness, god, and so on.
The road south of Kanab leads through Fredonia and offers a couple of options. West to St. George, South to the Grand Canyon and Kaibab Mountain, East towards Page, Arizona and Lake Powell. Or pick a dirt track and drive just a few feet to find solitude.
