Wide Open Spaces - Utah Trip

We watched a survivalist show recently where a fellow was dropped off in the Utah desert with minimal supplies. He was tasked with finding his way to civilization. At one point he resorted to drinking muddy water from a dog food can, including water he’d wrung out of his socks. He boiled it first, so it’s all good.

We visited the Utah desert in February. The television scenario seemed plausible to us. Of course, our friends only threatened to cover our heads with black hoods so we couldn’t see where they were taking us. And we were on established roads and trails, although the GPS refused to acknowledge the existence of the dirt road. We each carried packs with food, water, clothing, flashlights, fire starter gear, knives, and compasses. Happily, the only survival situation we faced was when I stepped into ankle deep mud, and our tall friend whacked his noggin on a low rock.

Utah never fails to take my breath away. You want to see wide open spaces? There are miles and miles of uninhabited land. Do you prefer that closed in feeling? Endless canyons split the desert into impossible mazes.

While in Moab, I visited Lin Ottinger’s Moab Rock Shop and gave Donna Ottinger a copy of Stone Cold Dead – A Rock Shop Mystery. I had to buy rocks while I was there, of course. I was delighted to find some nice ammonites. You might be able to find a copy of my novel at Back of Beyond Books. They sell anything related to the region, including obscure books you can’t find elsewhere. If you’re in Moab, be sure to stop at both shops and mention my book.

We spent the long weekend hiking in wonderfully perfect weather. One highlight was viewing petroglyphs and pictographs. 

·        Petroglyphs -  rock engravings; images carved into stone
·        Pictographs – painted images

If you want to see LOTS of photos, continue to the end of this post. 

For more information about ancient rock art in the Moab, Utah area go to - http://www.discovermoab.com/rockart.htm
Survivalist TV program - http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/dude-youre-screwed
Lin Ottinger's Moab Rock Shop - http://www.moabrockshop.com/
Back of Beyond Book Store - http://www.backofbeyondbooks.com/

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