Utah is beautiful in spring: the snow melts and flows over cliffs, forming waterfalls that feed the many rivers and streams flowing along the canyon floors.
In turn, the water brings life to the desert. American bellflowers and mountain dandelions paint the landscape purple and yellow.
The sun shone every day, with temperatures hovering around 29 C. I roamed for days on roads that descended into deep canyons where the sunshine changed to shadows. Towering spires of red rock reached for the sky. Hoodoos lined the cliffs.
I camped on plateaus overlooking deep, colorful valleys. As the sun dropped below the horizon, the mountains and sky softened; the stars were radiant; and coyotes called to each other, serenading me to sleep.
Then, after 20 days, 14 states and over 7,000 kilometres, I finally made it to California. In Santa Monica, I took off my boots and waded into the cool water of the ocean. It was a special moment, a culmination of everything I had set out to achieve.
Lonely days, busy days, wet weather and extreme heat have all been a part of my trip and its only half begun.
I have met people I would otherwise never have had the opportunity to meet. Although I don’t ask for it, I get a lot of attention: People want to know what possesses an individual to throw caution to the wind and to venture out onto the open road for six weeks.
They want to know how my kids and wife have reacted. They want to know if I will have a job when I return. They all want to know — why? In the words of Arthur C. Clark I find an answer: “The only way to find the limits of the possible is by going past them into the impossible.”
– Michael Jackson is embarking on a six-week motorcycle trip around North America. Track his progress at www.adventuremotorcycleroutes.ca.
