Article by:
Nick Heil
Moab, sandwiched between Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in Utah’s red-rock desert, is a town with two personalities. Its crimson cliffs, alpine peaks, and slickrock valleys are both a massive outdoor romper room for thrill seekers and a landscape that begs quiet contemplation and introspection. As the town’s most famous alum, Edward Abbey, put it, “Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread.”
The town has grown up around this duality—using the land for mountain biking, four-wheeling, rafting, climbing, and backcountry hiking and skiing while appreciating and protecting its unique splendor. I made my first trip to the area in 2001 for an all-night party disguised as a 24-hour mountain-bike race. Those were more rustic times in the region, when accommodations typically meant sleeping in the back of a truck and the only thing haute about the cuisine was sharing a beer with friends at the top of Burro Pass. But my fondness for the desert, my appreciation for its nuance and beauty, has only grown since. That’s why I wince a little now when I hear people refer to the town as one of the country’s greatest “adventure playgrounds.” It seems a callous and disrespectful way to describe such a sacred landscape, but of course I get it. It’s true. Read full travel article here.
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