Valley of Fire 2024

October 27-November 1, 2024

Valley of Fire State Park is an amazing place. It rivals some the national parks in Utah for some of its fantastic red rock formations. There are two roads through the park, and they twist and turn through some amazing scenery. The main park road runs from the east to west entrances, about ten miles long, climbing gradually uphill. It rises about 1400 feet end to end. On the north side of the road are rock structures in various shades of rust: red, orange, brown, and black in a variety of blends merging. On the south side of the road is a range called the Muddy Mountains, a different type of rock entirely in appearance, rising much higher than the north side red rock.

The Valley rises between these two diverse ranges. At about five miles in from the East Entrance, the White Dome Road has been constructed through and over the red rock range. It is a steep, narrow road that hugs huge boulders as it takes a few turns, coming out onto another geologic wonder of rock and landscapes, one that is yet different than the Muddy Mountains and the red rock just mentioned. This landscape is dominated by extensive ridges and formations, as far as the eye can see in all directions, colored in a variety of pastels with some red rock scattered about. The road rises and climbs through this wonderland. There are multiple “dips” in the road, places where, in times of storms water must rush across in flash floods, as evidenced by the fact these dips have been paved with concrete rather than asphalt like the rest of the road. Each dip is pointed out by road signs warning of the steep grades, and the road curves nearly continuously along its entire six-mile length. It is six miles of visual drama.

When driving along or riding a bike along this road, it seems to open a window into a magical place, where there is an internalization of wonder and joy. It brings a sense a happiness and fulfillment. The experience, as is often the case in nature, touches the soul, enlivens the heart, stimulates the mind.

I was here at VOF for six days. I did bike rides Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and a three-hour hike on Friday. What else did I do? I arrived late in the day Sunday, so I did not have the opportunity to do those things. On Monday, there was a brutal windstorm, with steady wind all day in the thirty mile per hour range from early morning to past midnight. I was limited to activities sitting in my van, reading, writing, and napping between meals.

On all the other days, the weather has been great, with plentiful sunshine and calm or gentle breezes. Morning temperatures were in the mid-40s to mid-50s.  I sat and sipped tea or water while reading or writing and simply sitting in the quiet of this place. I did nightly walks under the stars. I mingled with other campers. We exchanged stories of our travels, some of the physical places we have been, some of the mental-emotional places. It is interesting how, in this on-the-road-long-term-environment, conversations can wander into those places, sometimes quickly, with surprising ease, as if there is something in the air that we ingest and, as a result, we share personal stories.

It can start out with a simple question such as “How’d you get here?” There are answers in the physical realm, such as other cities, other parks and campgrounds, other places recently visited. There are answers also in the mental-emotional realm that tie in with careers, family, and other relationships. And there are answers that delve into the soul and spirit, into one’s imagination and dreams.

We travel on many levels, some external, some internal. And it’s not always about where we have been, or even where we are now. It’s sometimes about where we are going. It is an interesting phenomenon, yes?  

Yes. Everyone has a story.