Wilderness adopter Carey Maynard-Moody wasn't sure just which area she wanted to adopt, but she knew she would be staying at Pack Creek Ranch near Moab during her visit. So Carey corresponded with Southwest Regional Representative Lawson LeGate, who suggested that the western cliff line she would view from Pack Creek would be a good place to begin. So Lawson faxed a bewildering array of information to Carey for the Behind-the-Rocks proposed wilderness south and west of Moab.

Viewed from the air, Behind-the-Rocks looks like a multitude of red skipping pebbles stuck in the sand, all oriented in the same direction. Millions of years ago, inland seas advanced and retreated countless times, leaving layers of salt thousands of feet thick. Geologists suggest that the sandstone fins of Behind-the-Rocks were formed as a result of the subsidence of the salt layers, which in turn caused the sandstone above ground to stretch and split apart.

As Carey no doubt could imagine with ease, it's easy to get lost in Behind-the-Rocks. (The name probably derives from the most precise description anyone can give of their position in the area at any given time.) It's an area of miniature basins and ranges. Between the fins are tiny narrow valleys where most of the plants of the area grow.

With some difficulty, and with the help of local bookstore owner Jose Kinghton, Carey found her way into Behind-the-Rocks via the Hidden valley trailhead. Once there she soon found evidence of one of the threats to the area: pools of oil left by off-road vehicles whose owners would rather drive than walk into this stunning country. As Carey wrote: "The closer I got to the end [of the trial], the motorized tire and wheel damage to the area became sobering. The fragile cryptobiotic crust didn't stand a chance."

After she got back to her home in Kansas she was inspired to write the local BLM office to inform them of her observations and alert them to her interest in the area. She received a reply from a BLM staffer who told her that new wilderness study area boundary posts have recently been put in place (with the help of a local off-road vehicle group). The signs include a message indicating that the area behind the sign is closed to motorized use.

Carey reports that she and her family enjoyed a very rewarding experience getting to know and love Behind-the-Rocks. Clearly she has turned that experience into a great beginning of her career as a Utah Wilderness Adopter.