One Swell Spring Break

We spent Spring Break on the San Rafael Swell in South-Central Utah. The weather probably wasn't quite as nice as South Beach, with its waveswept shores, fantastic weather, and beautiful beaches strewn with sunbathers? Its all fine if you're into that kind of thing--which I'm not.

We were literally sandblasted right out of Goblin Valley (note the hair and faces of the kids) but frankly the Buckhorn Trail, where we spent much of our time, exceeded all of my expectations. The scenery we encountered was nothing short of spectacular, and the history of the area is amazing. My hat is off to all those who braved the harsh and meager conditions in that area, to eke out a living through ranching, mining, or as with the primitive inhabitants, simply surviving day-to-day.

The fabulous rock formations along the way made it difficult to keep my eyes on the road. In addition to the incredible geology, the highlights of the day included a petrified dinosaur footprint, some outlaw graffiti, Utah's oldest surviving suspension bridge (The San Rafael Bridge) and the breaktaking view of the "Little Grand Canyon" from 'The Wedge'.

One of the stops we made was at the Buckhorn Panel, a fairly extensive sample of ancient pictographs, which were likely drawn by the indigenous Fremont peoples prior to the birth of Christ. It is mind boggling to think that this primitive art survived for so long in the extreme weather that the area experiences. I also couldn't help but marvel that the ancient Fremonts and Anasazis had a paint that could last over 2000 years, and yet today we still have to stain our decks every year or two!! And why is the tattoo of Papa Smurf on my ankle already beginning to fade? Has man really learned so little??