Dinosaur National Monument

We underestimated the quiet. It's wonderful and lonely - unlike any solitude I've experienced. I haven't seen a true city in about a week (though the small towns in northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah are of a higher caliber than I expected). It feels like meeting a stranger and finding you're good friends.

We chose the road less traveled and headed to Dinosaur National Monument at the end of last week. No one we met while in Fort Collins / Denver / Boulder had heard much of it, but we knew there were real dinosaur bones. We hummed the "Jurassic Park" theme song and went northwest. I'm telling you, it's desolate. We passed through towns like Steamboat Springs (it's one-part quaint, one-part Starbucks) and Maybell (more parts quaint). We left the city far, far behind.

The Colorado side of the monument is primarily for gorgeous views and camping. We stayed in Echo Park, which demands an hour-long drive down the canyon on a steep gravel road. Ben, who drove, compared it to an ATV trail. When we stopped in the visitors center to ask about it and get a map of the area, Ben asked if Echo Park was a worthwhile spot. "That depends on the car you have," the attendant said. "You'll need four-wheel drive to make it."

We stayed next to the Yampa River in the shadow of Steamboat Rock and the only thing we heard that night, despite the proximity of other campers, were the birds rustling in the trees.

The whole place feels a little ancient, forgotten (and protected) in a way. We were surprised to find the canyon doesn't have rock climbing bolts all over it. Some research confirmed our thought that the area is largely undiscovered. Steamboat Rock has one known route on it, I found, but it's aid climbing. I've never been in a place like this. There was nothing to conquer here, just quiet to observe. It felt like God made the canyon just for himself to enjoy and didn't really care if we ever found it or not. It's a very harmonious place - not peaceful, there are predators and prey. But the plants are there because the soil allows it and the wildlife is there because the plants allow it, etc. I know that's how ecosystems work everywhere, but it seems especially noticeable in an area that seems so uninhabitable to someone like me.

The Utah side of the monument is where the dinosaurs rest. Oooo dinosaurs. They need no introduction. They're so cool! There was a whole quarry with 1,500 visible bones, and these casts of whole dinosaurs that were discovered. Whole! In these positions! Incredible.

That was our stay in Utah. Now we're in the great Spearfish Canyon (South Dakota) enjoying the company of relatives and the views from the towering limestone cliffs. Pictures and stories soon to follow.