Soul Searching

June 18

Bonneville Salt Flats, UT

I stopped at the higher elevations of WY this morning to try and sneak up on some grazing antelope for a close-up photo op using scattered pine trees for cover, and eventually crawling on hands and knees through the sage brush, avoiding the occasional cow-pie along the way. The antelope proved to wary for my stalking skills, and not wishing to have their images digitalized, bolted to safer haunts. My trek continued into Utah through Salt Lake City and the Great Salt Lake Desert. The drive through WY and UT has had some very desolate and barren looking landscapes, causing me to look inside at the emptiness and darkness within - hey, this is a spiritual journey as well - and I found that even in the barrenness and desolation there was beauty and order. I exited the freeway prior to sunset just before the NV border, and went to the the Bonneville Salt Flats. I found a county road that went up into the mountains and pulled into an old gravel pit on BLM property where I set up camp. A couple of hours after bedding down the winds picked up so violently that I was sure the tent would collapse around me, prompting me to remove the rain shield which was acting as a parachute in catching the wind, and retired inside the tent with it's structural integrity intact. Although an inconvenience it provided me the opportunity to view the desert half moon and stars that were brave enough to peek out from the partially overcast skies. The winds died back down and I slept peacefully.