Sunset at Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
I almost gave up on Cedar Breaks on Saturday. The smoke from fires at the North Rim had impeded Friday's photos, and I was pretty disgusted with the air by the time I hit Cedar Breaks on the way home.
It was such a well-crafted plan - drive from North Rim after sunrise, stop in Kanab to use the cell phone (T-Mobile has pitiful coverage in Northern AZ, Southern Utah), have a relaxing afternoon at Cedar Breaks, with plenty of time to figure out my angles.
Somewhat shocking that I've lived in Utah for 14 years now and had never been there. I'll definitely go back, make it a camping trip. It was lovely being high and cool, until you looked over the rim. Enough wind was blowing to lift out the haze, but then it would pool up again. Little did I know...
The rest of my plan was to drive home after sunset on Saturday night, and get a burger in Beaver, Utah on my way. So I skipped dinner. Headed out at 9:00 pm, down the mountain to I-15, in thickening smoke. If you haven't lived out west through a fire season, it is hard to imagine what smoke can do to the color of the light. Not amber, like sunglasses, but a putrid orange fog that burns sinuses and could bring on asthma, it's so thick. Not at all like a cheery wood fire.
I never made it to Beaver, Utah. The freeway was shut down - traffic diverted 20 miles east to Hwy 89 (!) on a scary little two-lane connector road carrying all the semi-trucks, motor homes and amateur drivers heading to and from Las Vegas. In the dark, and the smoke. Not good. It was 11:30 when I made it to Richfield, not an entrepreneur in sight who was interested in keeping a hamburger joint open to make some extra cash. Called R at home to learn about the Milford Fire, the cause of the shut down (a serious absence of signage at the detour, but lots of flashing red and blues). I ate Dreyers Dibs ice cream for dinner and kept driving.
The Best Western in Salina had its "no vacancy" sign lit, somewhat interesting that the light bulbs worked in the "no" section, which would likely see so little use. Semi-truck rigs parked three deep in the parking lot nearby, lots more pulled over on the shoulders of 89. After midnight, very few cars remained in the line of traffic with me. It was eerie to be the only car for miles on the freeway when the detour finally returned me to I-15. I kept driving. Made it home shortly after 2:00 am, congratulating myself on getting here in one piece. I read later that a lot of people had it far worse, but I don't need to do that kind of driving again, thank you.
But drive again, I shall, on Wednesday. This time I am northbound to Montana, where it is supposed to be cool and nothing is on fire right now. That could change, of course. Fire is a part of the west, like dust, or snow you can sweep with a broom, or yellow-headed blackbirds. I'm thinking safe thoughts for the firefighters out there tonight. And looking forward to getting a breath of fresh Montana air.
Comments (3)
Welcome home - bye - welcome home - bye again. There's another story that's being told here - the 89 gypsy who drives until exhausted, spends a few nights at home and then can't stay off the road. Wonder how many of those gypsies are out there?
Posted by Robert Marc | July 9, 2007 10:48 PM
Posted on July 9, 2007 22:48
Daaaannnng. Welcome home indeed and do be careful out there.
Posted by BWJones | July 10, 2007 12:01 AM
Posted on July 10, 2007 00:01
Such wonderful photographs !
Posted by drbobseiler | July 10, 2007 11:34 AM
Posted on July 10, 2007 11:34