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mycroft16 t1_ja52od4 wrote

Reply to comment by dressupandstayhome in The White Rim, cracked and crumbling into the abyss. Canyonlands, Utah [OC] [5423x3615] by Chipotle42

Pretty much the moment you leave a paved road in this park you are on your own in one of the more vast a deserted places in the United States. And this is one of the least hospitable environments in the country any time of year. It is rugged and old. There are places in this park where on the road you are 6 hours from the entrance and you can hike further in than that. This is extremely raw wilderness and it has the beauty to match the danger. Whatever amount if water you think you will need, double or triple it. There are no fences off the paved road. And in many places no warning signs. Just name of place. When I mountainbiked here we literally laid down at the edge of the white rim amd peered over the edge a thousand feet straight down. The switchbacks had no rails at all. No warnings about dry washes or anything. It feels like you're one of the first people ever to see these things.

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Kacksjidney t1_ja5bocw wrote

There's something about being in a place like that that puts you (or at least me) in a state of heightened awareness. Almost like a low level of adrenaline. The stakes are just much higher than other back countries I've been in. In the Tetons you might listen for bears at night, or in the cascades I watch my step carefully and pay attention not to get lost. When I whitewater kayak you focus on the river closely but when out in the open desert like that it's a prolonged sense of stakes and foreboding. Constantly tracking your water intake and whether you're overheating, watching for shady spots in case you bust a tire or roll an ankle. The realization that if something goes wrong it's going to be hours and there's no nice wood to make a fire or stream to bunker down next to adds an isolating but freeing sense of consequences to the experience.

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