Christpher Cogley - Utahs Greatest Wonders: A Photographic Journey of the Five National Parks

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

The pull toward nature has always been a primordial phenomenon in me, and, I suspect, in many others. Experiencing nature isnt something I simply want to do, its something I have to do. Its an insatiable need, a need to immerse myself in the simple complexities of the mountains and the forests, the deserts and the oceans, and search for the profound perspective on life thats impossible to find anywhere else.

Throughout the years, I have tried to better understand the inexplicable hold that nature has on me. In my youth, I attempted to unlock natures secrets, hoping a deeper understanding of the natural world would reveal the reasons for its undeniable control of the deep recesses of my spirit. I studied theories and principles and laws. I learned from scientists and naturalists and poets. And through it all, the only certainty I discovered was that the more I understood nature and the more meaning I found within her realm, the more powerful her pull on me became.

It was then that I finally realized that while science has unraveled many of the mysteries of the natural world, there are still plenty to be discovered, and many more that, hopefully, never will be. For those mysteries of naturethose mysteries that mirror the unexplored reaches of our own soulshave the ability to stir something inside us that we can neither deny nor escape. It is something we know is as real as the air we breathe but can never accurately describe within the limits of our language. Its more than splendor. More than fascination. More than awe.

Its wonder.

Inexplicable, undeniable wonder.

Its that quality of nature we set out to celebrate with this book, and there are few places on the planet that more aptly epitomize that sense of wonder than Utahs five magnificent national parks. The sprawling arcs of sandstone in Arches provide a primitive portal from which we can gain a new perspective on the beauty beyond. The mystical hoodoos in Bryce Canyon grow out of the ground like visitors from another planet who have taken root here to challenge our concepts of what normal should look like. In Canyonlands, the wild, far-reaching remoteness and rugged beauty are so vast that its possible to believe the hands of time have actually turned backward. The monumental Waterpocket Fold at Capitol Reef opens up millions of years of history and provides us with a glimpse of how small the sliver of time that encompasses our existence truly is. And in Zion, the towering canyon walls and precarious perches combine with pockets of lush foliage and mesmerizing water features to create a surreal sense of paradise found. Each one of these parks is unique. Each one holds its own special mystique and magic. And each one offers a taste of natures wonder in a way that ignites the imagination and captivates the soul.

Its a wonder that is as apparent as it is profound, and its a wonder that Rich Biggs captures with uncanny accuracy in every one of his images. Page after page in this book, Richs photos showcase the wonder that we are all in search of when we step into the wild places of the world. The wonder that science can never explain, but we know with absolute certainty is as alive as we are. The wonder that has the power to transport us away from an increasingly complicated world and back to a time when lifeand deathmade so much more sense, when the past was something to learn from, the future was an unknown entity beyond the reach of concern, and the present was the gift it was always meant to be.