Big SW Roadtrip - Pt. 14 - Burr Trail/Escalante Ntn. Monument, UT

One of the most amazing things about Utah to me was that it was so easy to get off of the beaten path, and even then the roads were amazingly well maintained and drivable.  We took our huge, 2WD van down some pretty crazy back roads, and found ourselves in some beautiful places, alone with the desert.  The Burr Trail was one of those roads, a winding, dramatic zig zagging line that cut across the state through places it seemed no one ever goes.  It spit us out in Escalante National Monument, which was beautiful and also pretty empty.  We camped in some amazing places, and wandered around some gorgeous slot cations.  This section of the trip was one of my favorites (although it's hard to pick just one) and the Burr Trail was definitely one of the most memorable roads I've ever driven on.  

Big SW Roadtrip - Pt. 13 - Wandering in Southern Utah

We spent a bit of time wandering around in the Monument Valley, Red Mesa and Cedar Mesa areas in Southern Utah.  It was beautiful, strange, and enchanting, as most of Utah is.  Here's a few shots from that area, and hopefully I can find the time to catch up on the rest of the posts from our trip soon!

Thanks for reading.
XO,
Ashley

Big SW Roadtrip - Pt. 12 - Owl Canyon, UT

Our trip has come to an end and we're readjusting to our life on the Oregon coast, but there are still a ton of photos to share!  I'm going to hopefully finish up all of my blog posts in the next week or two, so stay tuned for more updates.

This hike was one of the most spectacular I've ever done, and also one of the most challenging.  "Hiking" in Utah usually means climbing over boulders and following cairns in order to find the right route, instead of walking on what we usually think of as a trail.  It adds an extra level of adventure and excitement, but also makes it really demanding.  Owl Canyon was so beautiful though, and we saw awe inspiring ruins, wildflowers and so much green, and ended our hike with a dip in a beautiful green pool.  It felt great to push myself and it was so fun to explore such a remote place.  There's no question I'll remember this day for a long time to come, and it was one of my favorite on our trip.

Enjoy the photos!

Big SW Roadtrip - Pt. 11 - Valley of the Gods, UT

During our time in Utah we mostly stayed away from the big National Parks (which I know are beautiful, but so crowded!) and spent our time wandering around the gorgeous, empty, pristine places in the southern portion of the state.  Everywhere we went was beautiful enough to be a National Park in my book, and we almost always had the place to ourselves.  We camped and built fires in the most perfect scenery, scrambled up canyons and washes, and shot a million photos.  

The desert is such a magical place, especially in the spring when the red dirt and sage brush are washed by the rain and the colors just seem to glow from within.  Bright red cactus flowers dotted the landscape, the sky was chock full of stars at night, and the occasional thunderstorm darkened the sky in the afternoon. 

Big Sw Roadtrip - Pt. 10 - Goosenecks State Park, UT

Man oh man, I've got some catching up to do!  We're in Idaho now, slowly making our way back to the PNW and our wet Oregon coast.  I have yet to share any photos from Utah though, so with that thought here's a few shots from Goosenecks State Park in the Southeastern corner of the state.  The "goosenecks" refer to these bends in the river where it makes a dramatic turn and doubles back on itself.  This campsite is a primitive one, and you can camp right on the edge of the canyon and take in this view from your camp chair.  It was a great spot to spend a couple of nights and we even met up with  our traveling friends Chris and Abby from Sedona again, which was so fun!  If you ever make it out this way I'd highly recommend this spot!