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Show - - - - - - - - Certain Aspects of the Proposed EscalanteNational EscalanteNational Escalante EscalanteNational National Mrnum Monument ant in Southeastern Southeastern Utah UtahBv Utahfl I IB ( BJese fl Bv B\ B \ Je-iSe Je iSe Jese . , - L Nu Nusbaum Nusbaune < ; baum Senior Semor Ard1 Archaeologist ArchaeologistNational eologl , > t NatIon'll NatIonll Nation'ml Nationml ' ' Park Jiiemce Senlce Serice ) ) _ T To o those aeCl acce accistomed stomed stonied to motoiinit motol motoiini motoiin ing ; ' . at 1.t 1t it " ' will "m m 'afil afil ovei ovel improved high highvavsand vas vasand Va Vaand } and nearly directly to most mcst obJec objectives objecttves tives ttves the C5fl30fl can ) on of the ColOl Coloiadi Coloiadiriser Coloiadonv ado adorn rn riser er tl tI rough southeastern Utah Utal Utahand UtalI Utahand I and nOI flo noitlern t1 tl ern cnn Arizona Arizon'1 Arizon1 Anizoimi ' 'a a ' \ will \ 111 iii a al alvayspresent ! vays vay vayspresent vaypresent present a most formidable and ap p'11 p11 pil appaling app'11 appil ' mg ing b'IrrlerOn birrierOnl3 barrier b'Irrler bIrrler birrier barrierOnly ' Only Onl3 On I } v . ' within 'aithin aithin ithin the last fifteen ) yearshas ears eari earshas earihas has the Colorado river rller riser been bndg bndged bndged bndged ed for mechanized tiavel travel bet betveenMoab veen veer veenMoab veerMoab Moab Utah closely adjacent to tothe tc tcthe tothe the Colorado state line Ime and andNeedles ant antNeedles andNeedles Needles Cal forma-a forma a fornia-a fornia forma - - a cic Cle cia vfl efi o " . } ! I Idistance t tdistance tdistance distance of aJploJ appioximately : .imately imately > . 3'1 31 37 37miles 37omiles ' : > miles but more than 800 miles mlles as ar asmeasured armeasured asmeasured measured b3 b by } the Colorado Coiorado nvelThe riveiThe nvei nvel rivei nveiThe The flrst first intervening intervenmg brrdgeas bridge brrdge \\as as nat natthe \ wasthe \ asthe the Navaho steel truss on nortiand north norti northand northand and south Arizona Utah Hlgh\lay Hlgh lay Highna3 HlghlayI HlghlayNo Highna3No HighwayNo \ No 89 \ \ ' \ Ilch 1 ich spans the primary pnlmar3 primarygorge pnlmar3gorge primarygorge gorge of the Coloiado ColOlado river 467 467feet 46 46feet 467feet I feet above abo\e abo e abose \ the mean . water v.ater vater aster level levelImprovemeiit levelImprovement Improvement Improvemeiit of the Colorado river riverI riverbv riverby riverbv I bv by Bculder Dam Dane on the ArlZona Arizona ArlZonaNeada ArizonaNesada ArizonaNevada Ne\ada Ne ada Nesada \ line Ime piovided plOvlded in iii conJunc conJunction conjunction conjunctlon tion tionith with \\ith ith ssith \ Highways Hlghv.as Hlghvas High'aa3s Highaa3s . ' } Nos 93 and and466 466 a second intervening mterening intersening mter\ mter \ ening crossmg crossing crossingsome crossingsome some 540 feet above the old free freeflowing freeflowing freeflowing flowing rn nver riser er leel lesel leselThe lei le\ le \ elThe el elThe The phenomenal growth of ol oftravel oltravel oftravel travel to Grand Canyon National Nationalpark Nationalpark park 1-as 1 as ras i-as i - resulted largely from fromde fromdes fromdevelopment de\ de des deelopment \ elopment of high standard standardaccess standardaccess standardaccess access highways highssays hlghv . ays and their exton ext'n extn extonsion ext'nsion ext ' nslon sion to scenic vantage points on onthe onthe onthe the hi highly hly elevated North and andSouth andSouth South RimsBy RimsBy Rims RimsBy By reason of convenient and andcomfol andcorn andcomfoi comfol corn hon table access by modem modern modemmeans modernmeans modernmeans means and highly developed faciIi bach faciIities bachLies faclllties ties Lies and sei sel seivices vices for human kmd- kmd kind- kind kmdthis kindthis kind kindthis - this deepest most sl arply broken brokenand brokenmd brokenand and md spectacular section of Colo Colorado Cob Cobado Colorado rado ado river nver canyon embra embraced ed vthin seithin vthinGrand seithinrand . withinGrand ! Grand rand Canyon National park of ofArrzona ofrizona ofArizona Arrzona rizona has become-known become known become--known - - - to mil nell millions nellions millions lions ions of visitorsNorth'a visitorsNorthv visitors visitorsNorthward Northv North'a Northa Northward . ' ard and eastward thereof thereofIn thereofn thereofin In n the southeast quarter of the thestate thetate thestate state tate of Utah the Colorado river riverand riverLnd riverand and Lnd tributary trrbutary drainage Inc1udmg Including Inc1udmgGreen Includingreen IncludingGreen Green reen and San Juan rivers haveI haveis have havein havein I in is conjunction conJunctron " with "lth lth natural forces forcescreated forcesreated forcescreated created reated an equally amazing amazmg and andI andListlnct.se anddistinctive I dlStinctll Listlnct.se Listlnctse . e v . wonderland onderland nonderland This 111 in 111cludes inludes ineludes cludes ludes highly colorful meandering meanderingmner meanderingminer meanderinginner mner miner canyoa canyon . gorges wiyi wlth with bord.er border borderrig bordering . ? I Iing ing rig terraces flanked fianked and sur sur'mounted surnounted surmounted of ofis ofdiversified 'mounted mounted nounted ' , by fantastic pilings pllmgs dl\ dl dlersified is \ ersified ersifled erosional land forms fOTll1s to tonear toear tonear near ear or remote canyon rims rising risingto risingo risingto to o 3000 3 000 feet or more above the theriver theIver river Iver level Commanding Commandmg canyonrims canyonIms canyon rims Ims on the east are the forested forestedand forestednd forestedand and nd much of the vear 'ear ear ' ear snow sno\\ sno anon snoclad \ clad cladLa clada cladLa , La a Sal and Abajo or Blue rooun moun maim tains tams of Uiah UTah Utah rising rrslng more than thar than9000 9000 9 000 and ' 7500 1 500 feet respectively respectivelyabove respectivelyabove respectivelyabove above the river rlver level To the outh south southlone southlone outhlone lone Navaho mountain I > sacrec sacrecalike sacredalike aered aeredalike alike to the Navaho and Hop Hopi ! In Indlans Indians Indians dlans dians dom dam nates the horizon West Westv.ald Westssaid Westwaid v.ald vald ssaid . and adjacent to the river rivei rivergorge riveigorge rivergorge gorge the rugged Henry mount\ins mount ins mountaint mountinsabll mountaintabet mountainsabuptly ! \ abll abet ptly ascend to 7 ' 7500 1500 500 feet above abovi abovethe abovithe abovethe the \ ' wide 'aide aide \ ide valley floorN'IturaIly floorNiturally floor floorNaturally Naturally N'IturaIly NIturaIly Niturally ' and logically the jues ques question juestion ( questlon tion arises as to v . why sehy hy this great greatrca greatrca greatrea rca of outstanding scenic r a- a asources re resources - sources scurces has not become bccome known to tc tothe tcthe tothe the p pm piblic bile bhc generally The simple simpleand simpleand simpleand and d rect answer al1S\\er al1S er ansseer \ may be snthe s3nthe s3nthesied svnthesi7ed } sied 17ed ? in m a simple word-inaccessi word inaccessi wordinaccessib word - inaccessib I Ib b lltv iit3 lit ) for there are no prescnt present prescntroads presentroads presentroads roads traversing tra\crsmg tra crsmg trasersing \ the area fromnorth from fromnOl fromnoith nOl north th to south cr east e'lst elst eest ' to v . nestRecourse west nest westRecourse est I Recourse to road maps of Utah Utab Utaband Utahand I Iand and Arizona Anzona v . will isill ill promote pronsote under understanding understanding underI I Istandmg standmg standing and reallzat reaJizat realizat on cf the theimmenslty theimmensity theImmensity I immenslty immensity of this largest roidlessarea rO'1dlcss rO1dlcss roidless rO'1dlcssarea roadlessarea ' area in the continental United UnitedStates UnitedStates UnitedStates States Generally refened referred to as asthe asthe asthe the Colorado Colcrado Coicrado river roadless area of ofI ofUtah ofUtah ofUtah I Utah and Arizona it has been beenI beeneshmated beenestimated beenestimated eshmated estimated that it comprises comprrses 8890 8 890 890000 I 000 acres aproJo.ima aproJoima aproximately . tely 13 13000square 000 000square 000square square miles mlles after eliminating for fora fora fora a width v.idth vidth nidth . of one mile to their ending end ending ling endling ing the few fev fe'a fea . ' enteiing enteling roads that thatencroach thatencroach thatencroach encroach to or be beyond be3ond ond the first firstbarrrer firstbarrier firstbarrier barrrer barrier of this thlS \ last sast ast desertHlder desert \Hlder Hlder ssilder ssilderness \ wilderness wildernessTo Hlderness I nessI ness nessTo To encircle it by motor over the themost themost themost most direct high says \ ays and u11lm unim u11lmpro unimprosed unimproved pro\ pro proed prosed \ ed desert and mountain roads roadsrequires roadsrequires I IreqUIres reqUIres in excess of ' 750 150 n-iles n iles rriles miles - oftravel of oftravel i travel Only for a few miles near nearI nearthe nearthe nearthe I the Moab Utah crossing crossmg of the theColorado theColorado theColorado Colorado can one see from the thevalley theLalley \ alley Lalley floor the great Behind Behmd the theRocks theReeks I Recks Rocks barrier barner v s \ all of brownish brownishred brownished brownishred red ed sandstone gashed by the Colo Colorado Cob Cobado Colorado rado ado river rher riser which marks the be begrnnIng beinning beginning grnnIng inning of the main Coloradoiver Colorado Coloradoriver Coloradoriver river iver canyon and the northern northernboundary northernoundary northernboundary boundary oundary on ore the Colorado of the theprcrosed therc theproposed prcrosed rc . : osed Escalante Escabante National monu monument monusent monument ment sent At no other point on the thegreat thepeat thegreat great p-eat p eat - circuit can one see exceptemotely except exceptremotely exceptremotely theI I remotely emotely any feature directly duectly m in mcorporated inorporated incorporated corporated orporated within withm the approximate approximateIv approximatev Iv v one seventh portion or heart of ofof off ofof of f this great roadless roadiess area v . ' 'ahich ahich 'ahichomprises whichcomprises hlCh hlChcomprises comprises omprises l : 3.000 3000 . 000 square1I1lles square ---1I1lles 1I1lles - . miles of ofhighest ofighest ofhighest highest ighest scenic values bordering the theColorado theColorado thelolorado Colorado lolorado Green and San Juan Juanriver Juaniver Juanriver river iver canyons canons canlons } in 111 Utah and contitues con constitutes constiluses stitutes titues the proposed Escalante EscalanteNational Escalanterational EscalanteNational National rational monumenti monumentNorth'aaid monument monumentNorthwaid i Northwaid Northv.ald Northvald North'aaid Northaaid . ' from the confluence confluencethe confluencehe confluencethe the he area Includes the excessively excessivelyentrenchi'd excessivelyntrenched excessivelyentrenched entrenchi'd entrenchid ntrenched ' meanders of Labr Labr3inth Labr3inthnd Labrvinthand mth mthand and nd Still StIli vater later sater canyons of the Green river for an air line Ime dis ance ann anceof annof anceof of 42 miles nnles mules to Influent San Rafael Rafae Rafaelliver Rafaeiiver Rafaelliver liver iiver the Canyon of the Coloiadcfor ColO1ado Coloiadc ColO1adofor Coloiadofor for 33 miles to its boxing In en enthe ci cithe enthe the ed edge of Moab valley and arid the theI thesouthem th thsouthern thesouthern I southem southern POl poition tion of the great In Ini Intervenmg intervening Intervening i tervenmg tervening plateau promontcry promontcryknoll promontcrykno'an promontcryknown knoll kno'an knoan ' n locally as Big Flats an anGray and andGrays ' Gray s Pasture which WhlCh sep rates ratestne rate ratetoe ratestne tne toe riveis rhels riseis This area from Irons eleva elevahons elevations elevations hons tions approxirr approxlIT apprcxirr ately 3 3000 000 fee feeabove feet feetabove feetabove above the nver river levels providescomprehensive provides a acomprehensive acomprehensive comprehensive scenic command comneand of ofthe 01 01the ofthe the northern northem and most mot , highly highl highlycolcrful highlcolcrfui highlycolorful colcrful colcrfui halt half of the propo propoec propoecEscalante proposedEscalante cd cdEscalante Escalante monumentSouth monumentSouth'a monument South\\ South South'a Southa Southward Southard \ ' ard from the confluence confiuenci confluencefor confiuencifor confluencetor for a a , cro cro\ cro croflight crosilight \ flight distance of 120 120mi 121 121mi 120mi mi es the proposed propcsed monument area stem stemaseraging a\eragrng a eragrng aseraging \ 13 m les In . ' width v.idt'1 v.idt1 vidt1 'aidt's aidts ' ' is t tmore ismore more or less evenly balanced alcng alcngthe alcnm alcnmthe alcnthe ? the medial line Ime of Colorado rn rise riseireanders riverireanders er errreanders rreanders ireanders enlarging enlargrng to embrace embracs embracethe embracsthe embracethe the outlying Lit Ie le Rockies of the theHenry th thHenry theHenry Henry moun mountains tams and a greater greater\ greater greateridth 5 \ idth of deeply sculptured sand sandstone sandstone sandstone stone led ledge on the north side of ofmfluent 01 01influent ofinfluent mfluent influent San Juan river nver Below the thi theconflupnce thiconfluence theconfluence conflupnce confluence of the San Juan the thi thearea thiarea thearea area Includes only the \ west sest \ ; est and andnorth ant antnorth andnorth north sides of the Colorado nver river nverfor riverfor nverfor for an average distance dlStance of 5 nnlerto rnrles nnler rnrlesto milesto to just belo bela belov v the Crossing of the tla theFathers tlaFathers theFathers Fathers since the opposite side is ismcorporated Ir Irincorporated isincorporated mcorporated incorporated within v.lthm vlthm 'a a . ' ithrn the Navaho Naval-ic Naval ic NavahoIndian NavalicIndian NavahoIndian - Indian reservatronHere reservationHere reservation reservatron reservationHere Here at the Crossing of the theFathers theF'athers theFathers Fathers F'athers ' In the closing closmg months of 01 ot1776 1776 ' Father Escalante Escaiante courageous courageout courageousFranclScan courageoutE'ranciscan courageousFranciscan FranclScan E'ranciscan Eranciscan ' Friar and his small smallband smalltond smallband band tond of follov folbon followers . ers ens finally succeedod succeed'd succeedd succeed'dIn succeededIn succeedodin ' in In descending dcscendmg dcscendung to and cro crossing < smg the theColorado thecolorado theColorado Colorado nver river as they returned returnedhalf returnedialf returnedhalf half ialf starved and defeated in 111 their theirfuWe theirrutile theirfutile fuWe rutile effort to open a trace fromSanta from fromSanta fromSanta Santa Fe to Monterey on the thePacific theaciflc thePacific Pacific aciflc coast Former Supermten Superunten Supermtendent Superuntenlent Supenntendent dent lent Tillotson Thiotson of Grand Canon Canlon Canlonational CanonNational CanyonNational } National ational park who conducted and andreported andvported andreported reported vported the Initial survey of the theJpper theUpper Upper Jpper Colorado river canyon for forthe forhe forthe the he National Park Service suggest suggestcd suggest'ci suggested cd 'ci ci ' the name of Escalante for the themuch theouch themuch much ouch larger aiea alea sues then proposed to tocommemorate toommenuorate tocommemorate commemorate ommenuorate this notable flrst first flrstcrossing firstrossing firstcrossing crossing rossing by white man of the Colo Cola Colorado Colaado rado ado river canyonFortunately canyonFortunately canyon canyonFortunately Fortunately for those who "ho ho seho " larger large largeIy largely Iy r depend upon mechanized trans transport transort transport port ort and that Includes most of us usthe |