After a night's stay at a hotel...

May 17-18, 2012
Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Gallery

"I wonder how many people fall off these cliffs annually," he said in his feigned German accent. 

"Hopefully, not many," I replied. 

 "Ah, that's my girl; she's so dark--'hopefully only a few, less than ten,' " he mocks. "That should be enough to satiate the appetite of the canyon."

-Sugar Glider

We had planned for eight days of backpacking in The Needles, and must have been quite full of ourselves plotting out our itinerary months ago in a climate-controlled room in temperate Portland. We lasted four days, hit most of our planned mileage anyway, and said 'adios' to the backcountry. Sorry, pretty canyons, you just got traded in for a night of beer, burgers, and ice cream in Moab's cheapest, air-conditioned hotel.

The next day, I felt like a true tourist gallivanting among foreigners and families in Canyonlands' Island in the Sky. Spectacular scenery, to such an extent, that our view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon the next day, was not as mind-boggling as expected (blasphemy!). Hope to return to both places one day.

-Grasshopper