I saw a muddy, weather-worn Jeep Wrangler today. That brought back lots of memories.
My husband and I were in our late 20s when we left the midwest for Salt Lake City in a rag-top Jeep CJ. Utah had one big draw for us. It wasn't the Mormons. It was the mountains.
Nearly every weekend, we'd pack the Jeep full of food, firewood, a tent, sleeping bags, dogs, and extra gas and take the four hour drive south to canyon country. That Jeep took us through streams, went up and down cliffs and navigated rocks until late in the day when we would find a good spot to camp. It sat nearby while we built a campfire, talked, ate, and enjoyed the rugged beauty of those red cliffs. Once we heard the clickety clack of hooves coming from the nearby cliff wall. Two deer were running down the sheer side without missing a beat, sure-footed and graceful.
Sitting in a Jeep going down a rocky road on the side of a cliff doesn't sound as much fun to me these days. Sleeping in a tent is not at all fun anymore. Give me my camper, thank you. But, when we were young, before our backs started to hurt, sitting in that CJ exploring Canyonlands was pure heaven.
What a pretty picture of the mountains. I have to agree about camping now, I like a nice bed, running water and a HOT shower. How we all change as we get through our lives from experience to experience that forges our impression on the landscape.
ReplyDelete