Where Butch Cassidy Rode


(Slide show has several images)

Early yesterday morning, I woke from a dream in which I was riding a horse, and was saddle sore.  I had been trying to chase down Butch Cassidy.  Somehow I thought if I could stage an intervention and get him into counseling, he might change his ways.  Dreams are so funny. . .I jumped out of bed and threw my clothes on to begin another day of adventure along Utah's highway 12.

I had big plans to visit the Anasazi State Park near Boulder. I learned the Anasazi Indians sometimes built their homes in pits, as well as interesting above ground structures.  But the park wasn't quite what I had expected.  From various brochures, I envisioned it as a small Smithsonian.  It wasn't even close. I'm still in quest of the Great Anasazi - likely somewhere else; but on another trip.

However, Capitol Reef National Park was an experience that overwhelms the senses to the point where you need to stop for a minute, and simply soak it all in.  There was one vantage point, where I sat on a rock and gazed at the massive stone mountains above me, while my vision was in free-fall on its way to the bottom of the canyon floor.  Within minutes, the scene would change in variance, by the influence of the sun jumping from leaf to leaf on the trees, and casting different shadows revealing elements not previously seen.  Add a cloud or two, and the process begins anew.

At one point late this afternoon, I was thinking that maybe if I had seen one large red mountain, I'd probably seen ‘em all.  They are everywhere, and saturate your vision and mind.  Then I turned a little bend in the road, and was reduced to near tears by another glorious composition of red mountains.  It's like eating too much chocolate.

There is one thing for certain about this part of Utah.  The people who have inhabited this land have imprinted their spirits on the very rocks, mountains and landscape - Those people would be the Anasazi, the Mormons, Butch Cassidy. . .and the Bikers; but not necessarily in that order.

Written by: Myrl Jeffcoat



Where Butch Cassidy Rode
Written by: Myrl Jeffcoat - 9/12/2009
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