Being away from family for the holidays, I knew I had to do something fun and not just mope around. My friend Lacey had the same idea, as she was away from family too. This resulted in the Christmas of canyons road trip. We left Denver, just beating out the snow storm that was rolling in from the north, and spent the first night of our trip in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. We drove on U.S. Route 160, which I had done most of my walking in Colorado on during my walk. In Pagosa we stayed with great friends who had hosted me on that trip, and then the following morning visited more people who had helped me out. It was amazing to see them again. Southern Colorado had always treated me so well, and nothing had changed.
We made our way down to Arizona. After an overnight sleep in the car hidden in a dark hotel parking lot, we spent the day at the Grand Canyon. I’d try to describe the Grand Canyon, but it wouldn’t do it justice. Too massive and jaw-dropping for words.
That evening we drove south to Flagstaff, Arizona, and stayed at an apartment rented out by one of Lacey’s friends.
Glen Canyon, and more specifically Utah State Route 95 was next. This road is the most spectacular place I’ve ever witnessed. It has a bit of everything; mountains, deep red rock canyons, ancient Pueblo ruins, Lake Powell, rivers, high desert and views that take your breath away at almost every turn. I’ve seen a lot of the American west, and Utah Route 95 is the best of the best. The best way I can describe it is that you get 1,000 miles worth of western landscapes and scenery in around 120 miles. And the most interesting part is that almost nobody takes the time to check it out. If you’re ever in southeast Utah, drive on 95 from Blanding to Hanksville, or vice versa, and your mind will be blown. I guarantee it.
We camped at Grand Gulch/Cedar Mesa in an incredible valley over Christmas eve. Stockings were hung from the rear view mirror and small gifts were exchanged in the freezing cold morning while still wrapped in our sleeping bags. The sunrise was glowing as the light rose over the mesa. It was such a great Christmas morning.
Pictures from the trip are below. Please excuse that some of them are of poor quality, it was really cold, and I was shivering all over the place.
The Grand Canyon. Too expansive to really be described.
Horrible photo quality, but there are ancient Pueblo cave dwellings there. This was at Butler Wash off Utah Route 95.
Christmas eve camp site. I camped in this exact same place on the walk. Great memories.
Grand Gulch from the east side, can you see the little red dot that is the car?
Cedar Mesa extending along the valley, Grand Gulch. This is my favorite place in the world.
Later on Route 95.
The road near Lake Powell. Very windy.
Open range. Lots of cows crossing the road in front of us. They seemed pretty road smart, though.
The beautiful Henry Mountains.
The Colorado River feeding into Lake Powell.
View from above Lake Powell. Desolate, much?
Camped in this exact location on the walk. Felt like being home in a weird way.
Remembering my dad’s advice from my childhood: “If you can get up you can get down.”
Overall, it was an incredible road trip. The scenery was stunning, traveling with Lacey was a breeze (road trips are torment if you are with the wrong person/people) and it was a Christmas I will never forget.