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Show ZION UUL PARK I apent three full days in Zion National Park last week. This is the third time I have been there, and never before have I seen it prettier, nor have I enjoyed it as much aa on this visitation. The many raina had left it at its prettiest, with all 'vegetation a brilliant green and each view with a charming beauty. Zion was at Its best. The Mount with the Flaming Top Several miles from the entrance I stopped and took a number of pictures pic-tures of West Temple, I think they call it, though I prefer "The Mount with -the Flaming Top," the highest one of all those masive piles 7650 ft, and Springdale 3750, a rise in elevation and done abruptly of 3900 feet, and it looks it. It is a Sacri ficial Altar (though another mountain moun-tain has that name, seen from within.) with-in.) They lay the sacrificial offering of-fering on the table top, the me3a a-bove, a-bove, from which the blood had streamed from the many many rites staining the grayish white of the mountain's top with a rich brigh red far downs its: sides. This moun tain is a majestic pile, rugged, immense; im-mense; It can be seen from the Ar izona side as a landmark, wihch re curs on the vision time after time. I always stop the car on the view oi this and look it all over carefully. From the road by just a short walk one can get in a view of the river, the winding road, and the hillside hill-side slope; and then, miles off, this mighty mountain rising In grandeui above it all. The immensity of the view is apparent. A rugged pile, rising almost 4,000 feet abruptly, its grey sides stained with rich bright red blood; "The Mount of the Flaming Flam-ing Top is much more sonorously suggestive than mere "West Temple." Tem-ple." Approaching the Entrance Then I stopped three hours near the entrance, and took pictures of the red monolith that rlsej against the background ot grayish-white of the Twin Brothers, with the Moun! of the Sun In the distance. A magnificent mag-nificent view that always appeals to me. And of course, I had to go down to the river to drag water into the scene all the more effective. The Natural Bridge may be seen from Crawford's (W. L.'s), a slab of stone 90 feet long and 11 feet broad, on a sovere slant, making a natural bridge; W. L. Crawford has made the climb to it, and I purchased one of his closo-ups of it. I know his story of the climb, and of the effort it cost which makes1 the photo that much more Interesting. Petrified Trees At the checking station where you register, how many see the fine specimens spec-imens of Petrified Trees there on ex- (Contlnued on back Page ) Landing, a feat which several accomplished ac-complished while we were there, one such trip in particular being t.tken by two Millard County girls, alone, the Misses Leda and Afton Finlln-on Finlln-on of Leamington. The view is well worth the hard climb, and Is one of the reasons why I mur.t go back again, for I must take it. Pictures Pic-tures from there are wonderful with right light and atmosphere lei. ding to the distances. That Is another enticement to return. Or the other trail may be taken which leads to the top of Lady Mountain, a trail which only experienced exper-ienced climbers should assail, for It is precipitous, 1400 steps cut in the stone, and two ladders from nothing over the air to nothing again, and you all hollow inside. A cable guard rail so that when you collapse you can slide down it like a bannister, to a heap at the bottom. Something like that. I am much indebted on this visit for courtesies shown me by Chief Ranger Walter Reusch, and by Ranger Ran-ger Harold Russell. The hours went by more pleasantly In chats with them.. I also met Mr. Evans, Superintendent Superinten-dent f the Park. A Kindred Soul By the best good fortune I met on this trip Mr. Fred Maude, a re- ' tired professional photographer of many years experience, and whose skill had won for him the position of official photographer at one time for the Sante' Fe with Fred Harvey, for the Canadian Pacific at another period, per-iod, and whose work has appeared in many books and technical magazines. maga-zines. He has, or course, travelled very extensively, a graduate of Ab- erden College, and a lecturer with lantern slides togther we trudged the hills, and (waited for sun and cloud, elated when a fluffy mass of vapour came Into view. One in a rain storm which we waited out, cameras covered with water proof focusing cloth; and then Old Sol came out in glory, illumed in sparkling spark-ling glistening dabs the sides of The Mountain of the Sun, still wet with the rain, newly washed and reflecting reflect-ing the gleams of light from a thousand thous-and facets, a scene that seldom one is privileged to see. I hope our negatives record one half the charm we saw. Glistening mountain, heavy clouds above just breaking, the principal prin-cipal object bathed in full sunshine, river in the foreground, with large masses of green trees dotted over the foreground below us, and purple pur-ple in the distance a scene worthy canvas to perpetuate. If only a part is caught on the negatives the rain and climb will be well repaid. I also met Mr. L. A. Ramsay, a Utah painter of note, one of whose views apperaed recently on the cover of the Literary Digest. Continued next week oglyphics up on the mesas in Arizona Ari-zona that whet your appetite to go with him some day. The Union Pacific Lodge The sight seeer who travels De Lux will want to stop at the Union Pacif-is Pacif-is Lodge, where every comfort a-waits.electricity, a-waits.electricity, radio, dining service, ser-vice, saddle horses, and all; and where the ladies dress for diner; but those of us who work our passage along with a tempermental tin can go on to the public camp ground. And how the Government employee employ-ee did hold back a giggle as he "sized "siz-ed up" my outfit, an old tin can, ti.ed up and propped from falling even as it stood still, and with a bale of a hundred feet of "Mormon Wax End" if you know what that is, strapped to the side. And soon word went around, "A can opener and a bale 1' wire they always git 'em there and they always git 'em back. "If you want to see the funllest old wreck that ever found its way in here lamp the old guy's with the hundred yards of baling wire tied to It." Which reminds mo "I took four spools and an old tin can and made me a car and the durned thing ran." The Three Patriarchs Inside the park the Three Patriarchs, Patri-archs, 6650, 6600, and 6700 feet altitude al-titude respectively hold one enraptured, enrap-tured, so magnificent is the view. A picture can properly be taken only with a wide angle lens, for these are immense mountains each, and very close to you. "Old Scar Pace" Great Arch Mountain I prefer to know as "Old Scar Face;" for there on its face is the scar left when an immense piece fell out leaving the mountain wounded, a scar which it will carry for ages before it wears away. 'And I was spared the tale this trip from a camper that "a fellow fel-low over there talked with an old residenter who remembers well the day, thirty-three years ago this summer sum-mer when that rock fell." And the Indians were scared of that unbalanced unbal-anced rock and never could be coaxed coax-ed to enter the canyon before that vock fell now they go in that it's fallen. Also I was spared that yarn from a fellow camper "The State of Utah is going to put in a six million .lollar pipe organ Just there below Angel's Landing and blow it every day. - The Public Camps The camp grounds there are very ilce, a fine rock shower bath building, build-ing, and toilets, where one may wash up after the drive; cool retreats under un-der the shade of trees overgrown with masses of wild grape; water in a hydrant near; wood for the fire; and from the front yard so to speak, a fine view ot Angel's Landing, a good view of Lady Moutain, a close up of Old Scar Face, and right above one "a Natural Bridge in the Making," Mak-ing," where the opening Is Just barely bare-ly cut through the ledge exposing a small bit of blue sky, whloh Time will wear in eons Into bridge of noble span, Zion Park Is Indeed interesting, and replete with varied scenic attractions at-tractions of more than passing note. The Trails From the public camp ground one may cross the Suspension Bridge and take the trail to the top of Angel's (Continued from Page One) hibit? or if they see them merely think them big mishapen chunks of ragged rock, and wonder why those nngainly pieces are allowed to be there but known as "Petrified Wood," the interest changes, and they are seen for what they ae. One may take a horse and ride with the guide only about seven to ten miles around into another canyon (within the confines of the park, and see petrified treeD, one as long as eighty feet, and three feet in diameter, diam-eter, broken into chunks or sections when it fell. Geologists tell us that this region was three times under the sea, and three times a mountain chain above land; and when under - the sea under deep enough to put on that enormous pressure that made of that red, and of that gray, and of that pink mud, the three strata of colored rock seen there. And once when under, stony flint usurped the place of wood fibre, and behold, It is Fortified Wood! Much too hurriedly wo sometimes pass interesting things by. A Story with a Thrill A human skull is in the offico; ask the ranger for the story of the theft from an Arizona bank of $100, 000 worth of Gevernment Bonds; the hurried flight of the culprit to the north to make a get away beyond be-yond the Colorado River before the storms of winter; of how he gained the canyon's edge at El Tovar, took the Hermit Trail down and went up Bright Angel Creek until to a hut in V. T.' Park, when the i-'ury of winter locked him alone in Lhe little refuge, with only a burro as companion (and later for food); of how a local boy who had served in the World War, a returned Doughboy, Dough-boy, took to the same hut for shelter shel-ter after having had both feet frozen in the snow; how the culprit barred the door against him, saying he had rood enough for one only; how the veteran then decided it was just the same to die forcing the entrance as '.o die out in the storm, and assailed assail-ed it with all his remaining strength and burst in, only to find the fugi-ive fugi-ive huddled in a corner, an abject coward. The doughboy thawed out the feet 'rut too late, for he finally lost both by amputation when taken to a doctor; doc-tor; how during the winter, when locked in that haven, they two were forced to eat the donkey. At length the resourceful doughoy made snow shoe3 for their escape to Uncle Jim Owens, snow shoos for both, crude affairs, and with feet f.jured beyond repair, they sallied forth. How at the sight of Uncle Jim's cabin, the thief turned upon the other oth-er vicously, knocked him dowh, and left him to what he thought would bo sure death. The thief then fled to the cabin with a lurid tale against the man behind. In a few hours, soul tourtured. the man in the snow worked his wearisome way to the cabin, and gave Uncle Jim the true story of the late assault; how Uncle Jim then invited in-vited the cowardly attacker to make himself scarce at the very first favorable fav-orable opportunity, to vamoose, in fact. "A little break in the weather occur-ing occur-ing he started away, outfitted by Uncle Jim with a few essentials, and a brief instrcution of how to reach the nearest settlement. A few years later a lone ranger came across a skeleton, which the coyotes had scattered about as they assauged the pangs of hunger, and there in the office is the skull, and this its story. The bonds had long since rotted away and mingled with the desert dust; only the bare bones showed how the sin ot the crime had been expiated. The doughboy lost both feet, hut survived. It makes good reading when told in narrative form I am indebted lo E. V. Sutton of Pasedena for a very thrilling episode woven from thcfe meager facts. (Of course, if you're making 300 miles per day, you pass this story up along with lots of other interesting things. ) To Chief Ranger Walter Reusch I am indebted for many courtesies. And he can take you to Indian Hier- |
