Verlicia Perez is a lifelong wanderer with a deep love for history, archaeology, and the quiet stories landscapes hold. Her journey into Nine Mile Canyon began with curiosity—and quickly turned into something more. When she realized that many existing resources were grossly incomplete, outdated, or lacking cultural sensitivity, she became determined to document the canyon herself: day by day, mile by mile, panel by panel.

Over the course of a year, she explored Nine Mile Canyon in every season—photographing rock art, mapping locations, and researching Indigenous histories. She spent that time also speaking with archaeologists, Elder tribal members, and local experts. What began as just a personal passion slowly took shape as a field guide: one meant to be as accurate as possible, always respectful, and genuinely usable in the dust and sun.

Based in Northern Utah, Verlicia works as a corporate trainer during the weekdays and a fly fishing guide on the weekends—and somehow wrote a book in between. She spent countless hours hiking barely-there trails, scrambling over boulders, and chasing rock art through heat, hail, and one particularly graceful somersault she’s still pretending was intentional.

This book was brought to life by equal parts curiosity, caffeine, and sheer stubbornness—with just a dash of “what was I thinking?” Through the dust, silence, and occasional dead drone and camera batteries, she found beauty in the search.

In the future, she’s leaning toward a project with fewer rattlesnakes, better climate control, and hikes that don’t involve shale-surfing down cliffs—because honestly, who really excels at navigating a landslide in progress?