We picked up the pace as the sun began to set, wanting to get as far as we could before setting up camp for the night. Rolling on into the deepening darkness of the Utah desert, we kept one eye on the trail and one eye out for a spot to spend the night.
It was sometime after dark when finally, and thankfully, a flat tire brought us to a halt. We threw on our lights, and Cort began to walk it out while I forged ahead in search of the best spot.
Wandering around the vast rock surface, our paths led us out to the edge of the mesa where my light-beam struck a pillar of rock floating out in the darkness. Upon further investigation, we found the ledge.
The desert formation was perfectly suited for two loaded bikes and two tired travelers. Letting go of all expectations and following the cues along the way is the type of riding that has led us to this spot, and we could not have landed here any other way. We embraced that unknown and set up camp.