Susan Lamb
Writer/Naturalist
and Works in Progress |
To many people, Colorado and Utah are the essence of the American West. These states encompass the great western landscapes—tawny plains, magnificent mountains, golden canyons, and stark deserts. Much of this land is unsettled, wild and open, capturing our imaginations with a vision of reality entirely separate from that in which most of us live. In visiting such places, our curiosity is rewarded, our delight in the world restored. The rhythms and relationships of the natural world become what really matter: the straightforward, cause-and-effect truths of geology, biology, and climate. In Colorado and Utah, these truths are expressed in countless different ways, from spectacular ridges of tundra-clad peaks to mossy seepspring gardens in deep sandstone ravines. Even the atmosphere is remarkably fresh and clear, as the 19th century geologist Clarence Dutton wrote: the very air is…visible. We see it, palpably, as a tenuous fluid, and the rocks beyond it do not appear to be colored blue as they do in other regions, but reveal themselves clothed in colors of their own. In such a place, we cannot help but see the real world and our place in it more clearly. Colorado and Utah have much in common. Both are lofty states perched thousands of feet above sea level, and both have mountainous, north/ There are a hundred walks on every mountain in Colorado and Utah; there are innumerable meadows, canyons, and desert oases to explore. And people have roamed these reaches for well over 10,000 years (perhaps as many as 15,000), from paleolithic big game hunters to today’s hikers, climbers, campers, mountain-bikers, river-runners, fishermen, leaf-peepers, bird watchers, llama-trekkers, snowshoers, and skiers, who delight in the extensive public natural areas of both states. Some lovers of the region lament that the sheer numbers of visitors to natural areas are spoiling the experience intended by their preservation. Although it is true that some places are so heavily visited that their character can no longer be described as very natural, in many cases their sorry condition is the result of inappropriate use, rather than overuse. The answer to the problem may not be to stay away, but rather to approach natural areas with gentleness, respect, and adequate information. Administrators of federal lands have realized lately that “dilution is not the solution;” that distributing the growing number of visitors across a greater area does not diminish negative impacts on resources, it just increases the total area affected. To avoid contributing to the problems of natural areas today, visitors can begin by visiting the classic destinations--Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, Arches, Zion--before venturing into lesser-known areas. Well-known national parks are thoroughly interpreted by rangers, exhibits, and trailguides, so that visitors can learn not only about the geology, biology, and human story of the region but also how to spend time in it without risk to themselves or to the land… |
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