The La Sal Mountains rise like ungainly totems above the red rock desert outside Moab, Utah. From afar the forested slopes and barren, rock-strewn peaks have none of the splendor of nearby Arches or Canyonlands National Parks, which together attract millions of visitors every year. Nor are they particularly easy to get to. Until recently there wasn't even an official trail to the summit of Mount Tukuhnikivatz, whose Ute name is roughly translated as "where the sun sets last." Ed Abbey, who spent several summers as a ranger at Arches, once described Mt. Tuk as an "island in the desert," geographically distinct from the surrounding region; he said he felt compelled to climb it because no one else would bother.

Read the full article on the hidden battle threatening the future of America's wild places by Adam Federman at Pacific Standard.