KANE COUNTY, Utah – The beauty of a place can in part lie in its desolation. On the one hand, this captures the territory we are about to embark; on the other, vibrancy exudes from every yellow field and snowy plateau. This is the kind of place that evades definition, namely because of its timeless quality.
The drive continues unabated, the path taken merging in and out of Route 66.
These fields that flash by soon become forests, and just beyond the pine trees, one sees a canyon of proportions. Though it is smaller than the Grand Canyon, it is of the same mountain range, and likely created by the same moving crater. It appears most unique by its distinguishable hoodoo structures, as seen in the below photograph. It is not difficult to imagine these to be the very spires that inspired Dr. Seuss in his illustrations of the landscape of The Lorax.
It is in nature that we find inspiration for works that can inspire the heart and mind. We confront the cold as we scale along the slippery side of the cliff. Even as the sun emerges on this day, the ice melts, bringing about more danger than otherwise. No matter, the future lies just beyond the furthest hill-top.
Utah Book Recommendations:
Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry, 1985.
The depiction of ranchers in the American west is introspective, building a sensitivity in character not often found in descriptions of the West.
Inland, by Tea Obreht, 2019.
A Western fantasy composed of an unusual cast of characters, told in a decidedly Obreht way.
In the Distance, by Hernan Diaz, 2017.
This novel unveils the true harshness of the American landscape, as told from an immigrant’s perspective, as he encounters strange people in a foreign land.
postcardsfromanne.com 