The first time I came to in Negro Bill’s, I was alone. SOLA and Mocha had woken up before me (because they hadn’t been driving all night), and gone explorin’ up the canyon. Almost the entire way to the end they said after they found me, sunning myself at the point where the canyon ended at the swishing salt-cedar fringed Colorado.

Since then, if I don’t want to pay the fee to enter Arches National Park and wend my way up that long paved road past the mountain goats, slow behind some family’s 24 foot RV,  I just come to Negro Bill’s Canyon, and I park where where I’m not supposed to and crash overnight and when I wake up, I enjoy the hell out of myself. Usually all the way up to the giant arch (5th biggest in the world!) at end of the canyon. All for free, and I usually don’t see a soul. Especially nice when you need to heal, and I think Ed would approve.