My variant on this task theme is one where a computer selected the destination. I posted a version of these images and the backstory on here back in 2018 but it fits this Thursday task so I am going to recycle it here.
In the 1970's there was a big push for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to inventory their lands in Utah for archaeological sites in areas that were considered eligible for coal leasing. With millions of acres to cover they decided to do a random sampling to cover about 2% of the areas by dividing everything up according to 10 acre plots based on land survey maps (referred to as a Quarter Quarter Quarter Section), gave each a number, and then had a computer select a random set of numbers. They then contracted with a number of different companies to go out and survey each selected 10 acre plot. In 1977 I had just returned from summer excavations in Petra and took a temporary job to do some of the survey work before classes started back up.
One of the random destinations was down at the southern end of the San Rafael Swell and I had taken along my camera. The Swell in the 1970's was a pretty remote place and the modern day adventure seekers who infest the place now were still decades off in the future. Having your vehicle break down out in this area would not have a good outcome as it might be months or more before someone else came along.
Scenes from along the road heading south from the I-70 freew
Approaching the Muddy River near the south end of the Swell interior:
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I couldn't resist a shot of the cliffs with the moon:
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Interesting formations along the cliffs:
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Approaching the computer selected 10 acre plot:
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A view of the selected survey plot. As it turned out the plot straddles the light colored butte across the canyon and includes the talus slopes on either side of it so this trip turned out to be a wash for archaeological remains.
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On the other hand it was a nice day for a drive through the Swell to a destination we never would have selected on our own and I did get some nice images out of the trip
