Journey into The Subway, offroading near Zion

Last weekend we drove the RAV up to Gooseberry Mesa, immediately christened Dingleberry Mesa by our pals, for some camping and offroading with friends. Fiona and I also scored permits to hike the legendary Subway trail which is a 9-mile out-and-back on the west side of Zion. The land has an almost spiritual quality to it. It’s something about the undulating and impossibly-shaped red rock, set in sharp contrast to the blue of the sky, that makes it seem otherworldly. The wind pushes its way through the junipers, Pinyon pine, and manzanita, breaking the silence and bringing you the warm-sand smells of the desert. It’s no wonder that whomever named this place drew on religious references.