A capital reef,

or, At Capitol Reef. The rock formations massive; the sky ever larger.

Trailing up to the top of Chimney Rock in the midday sun, P cautioned me never to be the second person in line when passing a rattlesnake. Startled by footsteps, the snake composes itself in time to strike after the first person has passed.

Armed with this knowledge, I kept an eye peeled for snakes, but all we saw were sandy little lizards and great swooping birds among the stubborn shrubs, rubbery and tough to the touch, in line with the austerity of the desert.