San Rafael Swell

Last night we woke to the sound of coyotes hollering and talking to one another. It was a welcome sound. Living in a log cabin up a canyon on the Flathead Indian Reservation for three years, we grew accustom to hearing coyotes at night, yipping and yacking.

The cool crisp morning paired perfectly with a hot cup of French press coffee and cream. We drank our coffee and watched the sunrise. Bears Ears is intensely beautiful and unlike any place that I’ve visited. I could’ve easily spent another night or three in the area, but alas it was a travel day. We were heading to our next location— San Rafael Swell.

As drove down the mountain, we traveled through time

We went through Glen Canyon, over the Colorado River, around Lake Powell and to Hanksville where we stopped for gas, ice, chips and beer, and an “Alamo” sandwich at Duke’s. As we exited the restaurant around 2pm, Rex immediately turned around to go back in, “No, nope, never mind. I changed my mind.” The air conditioning felt wonderful, like heaven, compared to the melting asphalt heat outside. But the troops carried on.

Edge of the Earth

We set camp and plein air off Factory Butte Road, a completely different world. Literally. The barren hills and massive buttes harbored no visible signs of life. No shrubs, no bugs, no fauna.

A Good Place to Die

It was eerily beautiful and quiet, except for the wind. The muted and creamy colors, compared to the dry heat and harsh landscape, made my heart swoon with awe and papillate with fear.

“Places like this make you feel like you can walk the edge of the earth,” I remarked.

“This would be a good place to die,” Rex replied. “Take a gallon of water and start walking—until you dry and shrivel up.”

However, later we did discover life in the Factory—biting flies. The nasty bloodsuckers appeared out of air and attacked any exposed skin below the knee. They were relentless, even after I soaked my knee-high socks in bug repellent. My orange-rimmed socks will forever remind me that life exists everywhere, even when it’s not visible, even in the Factory.