THE FLIGHT OUT 4/21/08

I’m taking a week off from work. I’m on a plane to the Midwest, to the canyonlands of Utah at the foothills of the La Sals—to off-roading with a team of Land Rovers. I’m here for a Land Rover Adventure, a two-day excursion into the desert with a Range Rover, a Range Rover Sport, and two LR3s accompanying me. It’s a rare chance to experience a part of the country that I’ve never seen before, on the backs of my favorite vehicles on the planet. It’s a rare moment to catch a memory that might live longer than a spreadsheet. Or a work review. Or traffic…

I know I’m no longer in Southern California when, flying in to Grand Junction, I can see, instead of the usual freeways, mesas and rock bluffs pushing out to the distance like massive wooden tabletops. A ridge of rock bluffs rise up to the plane as we land. The bluffs are tall, standing up against the dry, desert atmosphere like sentries. The plane touches down. Beyond the tarmac, I can see the desert. It has a glassy sheen to it in the afternoon light. Dry rocks. Occasional dry plants.