Walking with a Wilderness Mindset Collaborative Book Project
Capitol Reef National Park, Wayne County, Utah
April 6, 2022
57 degrees Fahrenheit
10,999 steps
4.3 miles
52 floors
January thru April in Utah provides limited opportunities for long walks with snow and an average temperature high of 20-30 degrees. Today was one of the first free days that matched up with perfect walking weather. Along our way, we met a young mother and son from Germany, several families, an enthusiastic couple from Florida, and a retired English teacher from Tacoma, Washington. For the most part, they all stayed on the main path. Melinda and I walk for several reasons. Today, we really had nowhere specific to reach and spent most of the time exploring three major elevations and five small slot canyons. This was not our first walk in Cohab Canyon, but it is the first significant walk in over four months. Being outside in 57-degree weather felt like a release from an eternal hibernation. The light within the canyon was singular to the day while the flora and geology remained familiar and inviting. On the most significant elevation, we navigated slick rock ledges and climbed over six hundred feet above the canyon floor. There was a light breeze and a timeless quiet over the canyon.
Our page for the book project is a field guide of sorts and an invitation for you to find this canyon and sort it out on your own terms.