We paid a visit last evening to double arch in Arches National Park. The trail was short and wide and still populated, even at dusk. On the way in, we had stopped at the visitor center, only to find it closed for the day. While walking back to the car, I passed the water station, where the truly conscientious can fill (or refill) their own water bottles (sparing the world’s landfills some of the 67 billion plastic water bottles used by Americans each year, according to a nearby sign). While one man completed his refill, I saw another man and woman exit a truck and desperately approach the station. They were dressed for the beach, sunburned and traumatized. I’m not one for eavesdropping, but as I passed, I heard something about “eight miles” and “all day.” The man looked violated as he glanced back toward the park.
“The desert doesn’t care about you,” I thought to myself while driving past balanced rock toward the windows district and double arch. We were just in time to catch some evening light on the sandstone.
On the way out, a young park ranger was getting her picture taken on the trail. She was beaming as she told me this was her first assignment–she was about four months on the job. I asked her and the photographer if they’d ever read Desert Solitaire, Abbey’s quintessential manifesto on Arches. The photographer chimed in and said he was halfway through it.
“He’s opinionated,” the photographer said, and I couldn’t argue with that. “Ya, he probably wouldn’t want us all here , but hey,” I said. The young ranger smiled but didn’t reply. I was entering conflicted territory with such a conversation. Better to stick to talking about the park service junior ranger program…
While driving out of the park, I stopped to take a picture and suddenly heard “Excuse me Sir.” A pickup truck had pulled up behind me, and a woman asked “Where’s the big arch?” I pointed up the road. “It’s up there, called Delicate Arch.” They thanked me and drove away, pulling a trailer with a side-by-side on it. Never mind that it was getting late, the hike to Delicate Arch is fairly long and rigorous, and they had a small child. It seemed an appropriate ending to the evening. Delusion and freedom driving off together–two days before Independence Day on Edward Abbey’s turf.
The Desert Toad 