October 22, 1941
Travel this month, 234 Travel to date, 234
Weather
Local weather records show this October to have been the wettest in more than 40 years. Precipitation since October 1st is 3.78 inches. This is compared to 2.18 inches in 1940 and 1.38 inches as an average. The hardest storms occurred on October 3, 4, 6, 12, 13, 14, 20 and 21st. Temperatures have been below normal.
Roads
The road to the Windows, or rather what was left of it after the September storms, is something to make the angels weep. Repeated heavy rain storms washed out all the old wash crossings and several new washes have developed. All sections of the road having steep grades were washed badly, leaving ruts from 1 to 4 feet deep. My 2-man CCC maintenance crew and I have been able to keep the road open for travel with the exception of 5 days, October 13 to 17 inclusive. Constant patrol of the road is necessary to make sure those brave travelers who attempted the drive to the Windows were able to reach the highway again. Sixteen cars were towed or dug out of washes and ruts in 3 days—this may be some kind of a record, but not one to be proud of I am sure.
Visitor’s remarks about this road are monotously the same; I quote, “A disgrace to the Park Service” or “A shame that such a fine area is kept so inaccessible”, and many other remarks that are better not mentioned. We are doing our best to keep this road passable, but it is a heartless job. I look forward to the day when visitors can make this trip over a good highway, in comfort, and will then confine their remarks to the grandeur of the Arches instead of the impassibility of the road.
Once there was a road down Salt Valley.
This road topic reminds me of a bit from Omar Khayyam but, perhaps, it has no place in this report.
Visitors
The travel year of 1942 started off with an increase of 66 visitors over 1941 for corresponding periods. Two hundred thirty-four people, the greater majority of them from out of state, bumped, sloshed, cussed and skidded their way from highway 160 to view Nature’s most spectacular spectacle—the Arches. Almost the same number took one look at the road and decided they preferred to drive their car another year or two without willfully abusing it, and went away disappointed. Forty-one parties, numbering 169 people, were guided through the Windows Section; 2 horseback parties made the trip through Courthouse Towers and to Delicate Arch; and parties numbering 44 people were contacted at Willow Springs and urged to risk a little more of it and drive on to the Windows.
Regional Biologist McDougall was our only Park Service visitor during the month. Everyone else must have heard about our mud and water in advance.
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Newsworthy Visitors
Miss Katherine Harvey, of Kansas City, Missouri, Mrs. Russell Perkins of Santa Barbara, California, and E.H. “Curley” Ennis, of Grand Canyon National Park, spent 5 days in this section of Utah, seeing the scenic wonders we have here. I spent as much time as possible with them and enjoyed every minute spent with them and in showing them the area. Points of interest which they visited include the Windows, Delicate Arch and Courthouse Towers section of the monument, Dead Horse Point, The Neck and Gray’s Pasture in the Escalante region, and a drive to the La Sal mounains, to Castleton and Fisher Towers, returning to Moab via the River Road. Miss Harvey, who is the principal owner of the Fred Harvey Company, was much impressed with this country and is planning to return next year for a pack trip through the Devil’s Garden and into Sinbad Valley and Fisher Towers.
Project Progress for the Month
Continued road maintenance demanded a great deal of my time. I have had the help of a 2-man CCC maintenance crew for several days and we are doing our best to keep the road to the Windows open to travel.
Reports, filing and correspondence have been kept current.
Visitor contact was carried on throughout the month.
Patrols were made to all sections of the monument except the Fiery Furnace.
Regional Biologist McDougall spent 3 days in the monument on a botanical reconnaissance. I accompanied him through the Windows and Devil’s Garden sections and a portion of Courthouse Towers. He was called home by the death of his mother before his survey was completed and expressed a hope that he could return next year for a more complete survey of the Arches.
Project Program for the Ensuing Month
Since I expect to be on annual leave from November 7th to December 7th, inclusive, no project program has been planned for the month. The above dates are tentative and the commencement of my annual leave will, of course, depend upon Russ Mahan’s arrival. His project program, I suspect, will be trying to keep the Windows section road from floating to the Colorado River.
Respectfully Submitted,
Henry G Schmidt,
Custodian
CLICK HERE TO READ THE PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS OF HANK SCHMIDT’S MONTHLY REPORTS…
* NOTE: Thanks to former Arches NP superintendent Paul D. Guraedy, who gave me access in 1988 to the old monthly reports…JS
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These old reports are great, many thanks for sharing them here!!!