Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

The Natural Bridges National Monument was established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908 and contains the second and third largest natural bridges in the world. The three natural bridges were discovered in 1883 by a prospector looking for gold.

This is Sipapu Bridge, named for the traditional Hopi word meaning "the place of emergence." Yes, the same "Sipapu" that we saw symbolically represented in the kivas of the Mesa Verde National Park. This is, after all, not very far from Mesa Verde National Park and the same ancient peoples roamed this region.

The natural bridges are formed by the erosive force of moving water. Rain is infrequent and unpredictable, but it can be dramatic and torrential. Frost and seeping moisture continue to erode the bridges even in the absence of stream erosion. The bridges could snap at any moment and be destroyed forever, or they could stand for hundreds more years.

The National Monument site offers overlooks of each bridge, as well as paths down into the canyons, to view the bridges from below. This was another of those times that I wished I had more time to linger. I would have liked to camp and hike for a few days in the canyons and watch the sun rise each morning over a natural bridge. Instead I did a whirlwind tour, jogging from the car to each overlook, taking a few quick pictures, then jogging back to the Cream Puff again.

The stark, rounded surfaces of this polished landscape looked so alien. I imagined myself walking for days through this strange world, running my fingertips along the smooth, water worn cliffs. It was an attractive image. One day, perhaps, I will return and touch the experience instead of just taking its photograph.