JULY IN THE DESERT
By Lauren Steele
Photography: VisitUtah.com
We woke up at 3 a.m. with jet-fuel-slick coffee, knowing the only way to get out of the desert is the same way you came in: with your feet.
Walking 100 miles to complete the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands in the middle of summer is something most people would never do. It’s far, it’s mercilessly hot, and it’s near impossible, according to certain park rangers.
There wasn’t a mile that went by without pain, thanks to the boiling sun, pitiless mosquitoes, and feet that were turning to hamburger in our hiking shoes. There also wasn't a mile that went by without a laugh.
But that’s the magic of it. We knew it would be hard, but we didn’t know it would be so fun.
Lauren Steele is a journalist, a creative producer and a contributing editor at Deseret magazine. She has written for The Wall Street Journal, Outside, Rolling Stone and others. She also works on documentary and film projects, most recently as an assistant producer for the upcoming YouTube Originals feature-length film “World Debut.”
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