Readers tonight’s blog post will wander into reflections on our visit to Zion National Park. Theses sentiments are not just mine, because my Faithful and Obedient Companion and I have discussed them at some length over the last few days. It will get a little preachy and frankly the views expressed may be controversial to some of our viewers. Bare with me because no matter what your feelings are about things like the environment, climate change, etc. You would not “experience” the grandeur of these places if you did not make some personal reflections, influenced by your own philosophy. Of course we will finish the blog with an array of pretty pictures. So let me dive in.
Several years ago I read a book by John McPhee, titled, The Control of Nature. (Published by Farrar; Straus & Giroux). I have had the opportunity to discuss this book with at least one of our followers in the past (Clyde). It is the story of some futile attempts by man to overcome with “Technology” the course of the earth’s geology (The San Bernardino Mountains), its’ rivers (The mighty Mississippi), and even volcanoes (Iceland). In a nutshell despite some success at temporarily stemming the tide of nature’s powerful forces the author leads you (or at least me) to conclude…you have got to be kidding.
On our “interpretative tour” yesterday Ranger Mike described various attempts we have made to control the flow of the Virgin River so that roads, lodges, etc could be built in Zion Valley. Eventually they fail. In the 30’s the Civilian Conservation Corps added retaining walls and found that by keeping the river in a certain course fail to allow the Cottonwood trees to reproduce. Boulders fall from these eroding cliffs and have crashed into the Zion lodge. In essence despite our efforts the river that cut these canyons over millions of years cannot be stopped forever. Nor can the natural forces of erosion be stopped for very long and certainly not for endless millennium. I am sure that some day (thousands of years maybe but someday) Hoover Dam will be gone and the Colorado will resume its natural course.
So what is our takeaway from all this. First we are idiots to think we are in aggregate more than a TINY speck in the history of this earth, let alone the cosmos. Second while I believe (and so does My Faithful and Obedient companion) that it is in our own best aesthetic interest to “clean up” after ourselves (example; neither of us want to see trash or smog ruining our enjoyment of these beautiful places) it is just that, self interest, not “Nature’s needs”. Our discussion proceeded to the idea of “managing our climate”. We are (and will likely remain forever) a skeptic of our ability to overcome the natural forces that create our weather and climate despite what “science and technology” may tell us. While there may well be a lot selfish reasons for doing things like reducing dependence on oil it is once again self interest, not for a belief that we can really stop our planets ecosystem from going where it will go. To think otherwise in my mind at least is to fall into the trap that we somehow can shape the cosmos. Ha! Who are we kidding? Frankly the human race will be long dead and gone and the forces we see at work here will continue to do as they will. Yes readers in this sense I suppose My Faithful and Obedient Companion and I are fatalists at heart. However that sense can also be liberating and allow one to recognize that we all have but one life to live, so make the most of it! Certainly one way to do so is to look at places like these and be moved at the incredible wonder of it all.
Well if I still have any readers left here was today in a nutshell, we drove up to a part of Zion that gets few visitors the Kolob Terrace Road. You actually leave the park and drive several miles away and then re-enter via a small road that few know exists. We drove some 30 miles (going in and out of the park as we went). Saw several ranches (one looked like it could be a compound for a polygamy sect: ala Big Love), and eventually ended at Kolob Reservoir. The day ended with a swim in the pool, and my Faithful and Obedient Companion snapping a few sunset photos. Tomorrow will bring a new adventure. Until then:
Adieu
No comments:
Post a Comment