The Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments are being stolen from the American people. This is the largest elimination of protected land in American history. The exact day it was announced that our president was reducing the size of these lands for corporate interests, I serendipitously was already on the way to hike the Escalante River. Timing is everything.

I am sharing these photographs to show the untouched beauty that these majestic landscapes offer us. We saw such a diverse range of wildlife and no sign of civilization other than ancient petroglyphs. It’s like we stepped into another time.

“Nature is not our enemy, to be raped and conquered. Nature is ourselves, to be cherished and explored.” – Terence McKenna

Patagonia is leading the front protecting these public lands and has been for almost 30 years. Follow along as I’ll be posting more from Utah and other National Parks to help bring awareness to this disastrous move. Let us protect these wondrous lands as they are the last true havens of untouched wilderness.