Expedition Moab
Moab has to be one of my favorite places. There’s something about its mystique and allure, the topography, red rocks, grandiose towers, canyons and dreamlike vistas that captures an adventurer’s heart. I had been fascinated with Utah’s prehistoric land ever since I was a child, inspired by images of giant reptilian beasts roaming the land – The Age of the dinosaurs. Images of large flat top plateaus, buttes, arches, and towers instilled a magical sense of wonder. I often imagined if stepping on the crimson soil would instantly transport me back to an age where water gushed through these dry valleys providing a rich home to cephalopods, ammonites, and gastropods.
In fact, I even dreamed of one day unearthing a fossil of one of these invertebrates, something that hadn’t seen the light of day since the Triassic period, some 500 million years ago. So many mysteries surround this ancient and powerful land. Puebloan ancestors made these vistas into communities in which they flourished, evident in the many petroglyphs that are etched into smooth sandstone faces, evidence of a time and place long forgotten. There is an endless array of adventure here, but also much to connect with spiritually – The past, seeping into the present, whispering stories of a time and place long long ago.
Rich Manley is a world-wide adventurer and explorer. Inspired by his late grandfather, who was a traveling doctor, adventurer, and magician, Rich explores the globe by following in his grandfathers footsteps.
