May 29, 2010

The wind died down over night and the temperature dropped into the forties.  It was nice sleeping weather.  We didn’t get up this morning until 8 AM.  That is the latest we have slept since leaving home.  

We hope to drive up to Dead Horse Point State Park this morning before the wind picks up.  From there we can get another view of Canyonlands and surrounding area.   From what locals tell us several movies have been filmed in this area, some John Wayne and City Slickers 2.  

12:15 PM

We made the trip to Dead Horse Point this morning.  The view from there was beyond description.  We must have been a couple thousand feet above the river below.  Words fail me and photos can’t capture it.  You must fly out to Salt Lake City or Las Vegas and rent an RV and tour this country to appreciate it.  We have met many couples who have rented and are touring the state.  It is a reasonable way to see everything. 

At Dead Horse there was an area of the canyon with a sign, “Amphitheater”, describing the formation.  The formation truly is an amphitheater.  We could hear conversations from people quite distant.  An elderly lady and her husband were walking some 100 feet ahead of us when there was a roar that sounded like a hungry mountain lion was about to pounce on us.  Other people in the area hit the dirt and took cover.  We soon realized the roar we heard was not from a mountain lion at all but from one or the other of the elderly couple up ahead.  We were thankful that the amphitheater did not also amplify the odor.  Surely the old gal or gentleman felt safe to let one fly in such a large open place. 

We chose the best time to come to this area.  All the plants are in bloom.  Sage, juniper, rubber rabbitbush, pepperbush, cactus and a host of others are in full bloom.  There are also many desert flowers growing in the most impossible places.  They come in every color you can imagine, pink, blue, yellow, orange, red, white, lavender.  

The most creative landscaper in the universe put together a desert landscape that man can only try to imitate.  I find it amazing that a place so dry could be so full of life.  It looks rugged, tough, ancient and enduring.  I think of the Lord and how He is reflected in His creation.  Paul said in Romans that man was without excuse because all creation testifies of Him.   We keep saying, “If God made this so beautiful and it hasn’t even entered into the mind of man the things He has prepared for us, heaven must be a very magnificent place.”   It is sad that so many attribute “nature” to some impersonal power.  It is beyond comprehension that such perfect design could possibly just all fall into place.  How arrogant of man.  Man’s creations are heralded to be the work of genius but God’s creative work just all fell together on it’s own.  Our creative power was a gift to man from God.  It is what separates us from the rest of creation.  We are not gods but we are created in His image.

The tops of the rock formations here have small potholes in them that fill with water when it does rain.  All sorts of very tiny creatures hatch in the pools and lay eggs for the next generation before the water dries up.  I suppose some other critter depends on the tiny creatures for nourishment so it can propagate its next generation.  It all reflects a fantastic design.

I used to laugh at the idea that they restricted access to certain desert lands.  I used to laugh at the idea that a few footprints could cause any lasting harm.  I have since some to understand the logic.  True, a few footprints would do little overall but with the thousands of visitors to areas like this it wouldn’t be long before long term damage is done.

When I took a short hike out in Canyonlands to a ruin site, I noticed the ground was all heaped up like moles or something had been crawling around under the soil.  Or possibly the ridges were caused by a short shower that kind of puckered up the soil and it dried into a crusty formation.   Reaching down and touching one of the formations I was surprised how it collapsed with little pressure.  It didn’t even feel crusty.  It was just a soft powder.  It  puzzled me until I came across a publication that warned not to walk on the “cryptobiotic crust”.  

Cryptobiotic crust is a living soil crust composed of bacteria, algae, lichen, mosses and fungi.  This crust takes decades to grow.  It is the very basis for the growth of other desert plants.  The cryptobiotic crust holds nutrients and moisture needed for seeds of other plants to germinate and thrive.  Walking across this crust destroys the work of decades.  Your footprints will not be restored to the former state for a very long time.

I saw this crust in its very early stages the first time I saw it on the hike.  It has no color, just the raised areas.  As it grows, it darkens and looks more plant like or moss like when it is mature.  It can be recognized by its irregular, bumpy black mat appearance. 

We have Utah dust in everything.  It clogs our noses and irritates our eyes.  We will be cleaning it out of the old bread truck for sometime to come.  If your fetish was a dust free home, you would be a mighty miserable creature living here.  It is all just part of the experience.  Enjoy the moment is our motto on this trip.  We have been doing that along with enjoying each other.