A reflective walk through the Dark Canyon

Walking the land is a form of poetry. My preference is off-trail walking, especially in the high deserts of the west. Every curve and slope, drainage and rock outcropping, becomes an experience. There is no better way to observe animals, plants, rocks and soil, the weather, and your own heart rate, and new thoughts and deep old memories. It can be done singly or with a friend. This is the original activity and pace and rhythm of human observation, learning, and thinking.

Ken Wright and I exited Dark Canyon by way of the tributary Lean-to Canyon. It was during the early 90s, and it was in the m...