Pictures process faster than sentences, and I am still digesting much of what I am seeing: the waterfalls in Canyonlands, the scarred land of northeastern Utah seen from above in a small plane, the extreme dryness of this already dry region. So here are some early images from my journey following the trail of Wallace Stegner and Ed Abbey around the West.
landscape of one of my favorite books, Crossing to Safety.
The first stop on my way west was the home of Tanya and Wendell Berry. Wendell
was Wallace Stegner's student and has in many ways carried on his work. Both are
members of what Stegner called "the great community" of writers throughout time.
In Lexington with the writer Erik Reece and writer/Merry Prankster Ed McClanahan,
who shared an office with Stegner.
Back "home" in Boulder, climbing Flagstaff Mountain with old friends Chris Brooks
and Rob Bleiberg.
I stayed with my friend (and former Ecotone editor) Adam Petry, who is now living
the Western good life in the hills above Paonia, Colorado.
My home near Indian Creek, on BLM land outside of Canyonlands National Park.
Indian Creek itself, after some rain.
The greater neighborhood.
My trusty steed.
Seeing Seldom Seen Smith: The great Ken Sleight in his office at Pack Creek
above Moab.
On to Vernal, Utah, oil boomtown. More on this soon ...
Read more posts from David Gessner's Western road trip.
Images: David Gessner
