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US 191 & 400 EAST in 1999
One
of the last "in town" pastures still looked like this in 1999. The cows
gave way to a self-serve gas/convenience store a few years ago. The
cows are presumed missing or eaten.
BATES WILSON at NATURAL BRIDGES
He's
known as the "Father of Canyonlands National Park," but Bates Wilson
came to SE Utah as the custodian of Arches & Natural Bridges
National Monuments in the late 1940s.
Until
the late 1960s, visiting Bridges, especially, required real dedication
and the use of one's legs. Instead of the cursed loop road that now
allows tourists to view the three bridges without walking more than a
few steps, the original road was merely a short spur from the old
gravel and dirt Utah State 95. "Headquarters" was an old CCC shack,
acquired by the NPS, and re-located across the canyon from Owachomo
Bridge. From there, it was a hike upcanyon to see Kachina and Sipapu
Bridges.
Here Bates stands by, waiting for the occasional visitor.
And I'll sing about an emptiness the East has never known,
Where coyotes don't pay taxes and a man can live alone,
And you've got to walk forever just to find a telephone.
It's sad, but the telling takes me home.
* "THE TELLIN' TAKES ME HOME" By Utah Phillips
Photos by Stiles
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