Welp, looks like it’s just going to be me on this trip, which is weird, since Julie and I go everywhere together.
So, I have mixed feelings about it - it’s always good to get desert time, and OvEX is such a great experience, but there will be something missing for sure. Part of what makes travel so exhilarating is sharing it with your best friend.
Although, I don’t completely hate solo travel - there is also something to be said for having time for self-reflection, and taking in the experiences as they are for you, and for you only.
In any case, I’m headed south on Wednesday morning early, hoping to pile on the Interstate miles and stop somewhere near Cedar City, Utah (about 770 miles, which is about all I can stand in one go).
I was hoping to maybe camp at Cedar Breaks National Monument, but the campgrounds don’t open until June (a function of the 10,000 feet in elevation). So I was looking at the Yankee Dispersed Camping Area in the Dixie National Forest - but it’s also fairly high, so we’ll see what the snow situation is.
I should get to Flagstaff mid-day on Thursday. The gates open at noon, so hopefully I can snag a good spot in the Expo camping area.
I haven’t completely decided on my plan for the return trip yet. I don’t have any programs on Sunday, so I may try to duck out a little early and take a scenic route home. After all the many times I have visited Capitol Reef National Park, I’ve never been to the Cathedral Valley, which as HHFP noted in his podcast appearance is one of those true off-road classics in Utah.
I’m also tempted by Nevada - making a run up to Great Basin National Park, where I’ve never been before. There’s also something to be said for just opening the atlas and choosing some random, out of the way place, plans be damned.
I’ll make sure to get lots of post fodder while I’m there, though I’ll be missing my wife’s photographic expertise. And, maybe, this time around Tim and I will finally connect!