FAREWELL UTAH: WHAT I’LL MISS WHILE TRAVELING

Reading other travel bloggers posts, I noticed many like to list the things they’ll miss while off traveling abroad. Some items were obvious while others were a little more unique: massively long baths, laziness, hair straighteners, Chipotle Mexican Grill, whole kosher dills, the driving range, flea markets and cheese, just to name a few.

This led me to create my own “miss list” and besides all the obvious things such as family, friends and the comforts of a home, one big item landed on top–Utah.

Climbing the East Rim while backpacking the Zion traverse in Zion National Park. Photo by Mark Johnston.

When I first moved to the United States as a teenager, my expectations were in line with what most 13-year-old Scots might think: Universal Studios, The Wonder Years, Empire State Building, burgers bigger than my face and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Except we moved to Utah.

Forget everything I thought I knew about America. Instead I got mountains, Mormons and endless desert that intimidated more than it enticed. Yet, over the years I grew to appreciate the natural wonders of this state and began taking advantage of the outdoor opportunities it provides. Now, years later, little is more satisfying to me than walking now-familiar trails in Arches National Park, mountain biking around Moab or backpacking into the more remote regions of Escalante.

Britnee Johnston visits an ancient ruin while backpacking in Grand Gulch. Photo by Mark Johnston.

So when Britnee and I began counting down the days until our departure, I also began counting down the days I had left to visit parts of Utah I’d yet seen. In the past month I managed to fit in three great backpacking trips. This included crossing 50 miles of Zion National Park on the Zion traverse, exploring ancient Anasazi ruins in Grand Gulch and following the winding canyon through Coyote Gulch.

All three trips offered something unique and by the time I climbed out of Coyote Gulch I was satisfied but exhausted. As I walked the final three miles of sandy road back to the car, the cooling breeze died, the temperature rose, my water ran out and my mouth went dry. Meanwhile, every time I looked up from my sand-filled shoes, the gleaming vehicles parked on a distant hill didn’t seem to be getting any closer.

Numerous times I turned around at the sound of an engine, hoping to see a vehicle kicking up dust on this rather remote road, only to realize it was a distant plane cutting through the blue sky overhead. Finally my silent prayers were answered as a pick-up truck came rumbling over the hill I’d just crossed, three figures standing in the bed.

Jason Prendergast walks through Coyote Natural Bridge while backpacking in Coyote Gulch. Photo by Mark Johnston.

Initially I thought it was the companions I’d hiked into Coyote Gulch with the day before, who I was now retrieving our vehicle for. But as the truck neared I realized it was three women with blonde, brown and nearly black hair braided behind their heads.

Stepping aside and sticking out my thumb, it wasn’t until they pulled up that I realized the young ladies were wearing prairie-style dresses, as was a fourth woman sitting beside the male driver who graciously offered me a ride.

I guess polygamists need a vacation too.

This topped my last hitch-hiking experience when I was picked up by a biker on a large Harley trike in Zion National Park, but who would believe me? Clutching the tailgate of the truck as we bounced down the last mile of road, I pulled out my camera, snapped off a couple of blind photos of my fellow passengers and smiled.

What a beautiful and bizarre farewell to this wonderful place. I will miss you Utah.