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Show eel Aye! YR/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2004 THE ARCH HUNTERS They came from the four corners of the continent—from Northern Utah and _ the Rocky New England coast. From the Jersey Shore and the Texas plains. Four pilgrims pursuing a dream. They found it right here. Doug Travers. Dale Stevens. Ed McCarrick. Reuben Scolnik—we called them “The Arch His name was Reuben looking for arches and inquired about a wouldn't ask any questions...he did. It would go like this. Hunters.” For reasons that I have never been able to fully grasp. Some men are destined to search for holes in the rock. I don’t know if this is some kind of affliction—with all the New Disorders facing American Society, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time until arch hunting is diagnosed, given aname and a treatment is developed—but certainly, something happens to some men when they come to Arches National Park (note: I do not mean to exclude women-l simply don’t see this illness affecting the female gender). The first of the Arch Hunters to find his way to Moab was electrical engineer Doug Travers of San Antonio, Texas. With his sons, Jay and David, the Travers men became transfixed by the strange desert landscape. Their first visitin 1965 was all too short and they vowed to return. The Travers men kept their promise, along with the younger Travers boys, Rod and Roy, and returned dozens of times over the next 35 years. Ed McCarrick retired from Western Electric in Hoboken, New Jersey in the mid-70s and moved to Moab. In 1976, at age 55, Ed became a seasonal ranger at Arches National Park. McCarrick worked the entrance station for years and in the late 70s often called me on the park radio for campground conditions. In his distinctive New Jersey squawk, Ed would key his mike and say, “Hey 236, this is 231...what the hell is going on up there? I need a campground count. These damn tourists are pouring in like flies.” And Ed is the only government employee I’m aware of who ever referred to a young woman as a “tomato” on the FCC-approved government band. “Yeah, Jim...a real tomato just came through the gate...she’s driving a Ford Pinto.” “Uh...10-4, Ed” Scolnik. He was a retired aeronautical engineer from NASA, looking for a project to occupy his summer. In 1977, he thought he might spend a few weeks list. We gave him the Stevens List and hoped he “Ranger Stiles, | was in the Devils Garden today and I have a problem with arch #91. Have you noticed that Stevens has placed that arch in the wrong canyon?” “Uh...yes Reuben. I’d heard that.” “And I have a problem with its categorization. Do you really consider that a ‘cliff wall’ aren?” “Well....L...uh.” “You do know where #91 is?” “Sort of...” “Have you been to 91?” “Not exactly.” “What exactly DO you do here in the park?” Humiliated beyond words Chief Ranger Jerry Epperson called the rangers together to discuss our inadequacies. Eventually, he established the need and implemented an arch inventory—a systematic exploration of the park and a running record of all rock openings greater than three feet (an arch criteria established by Stevens). I thought it was a great idea. It meant I’d get to spend two or three days a week, getting paid (albeit a pittance) to wander the park’s most isolated backcountry, in search of holes. Often accompanied by the Arch Hunters, we explored every side canyon, every fin, every remote cluster of sandstone pinnacles for the elusive windows in stone. But the windows weren't as elusive as we thought they'd be. The three foot arches were everywhere. Reuben and I became bored with the little holes. Ed became obsessed with them. In fact, Reuben and | were convinced that Ed McCarrick had gone mad. measure, taking stock of tiny little hole.. Here’s Ed with a tape “What does the tape measure say, Ed?” “Well...hold on Stiles. It says 34 inches. But wait a minute..this..dirt is in the way.” So there’s McCarrick trying to dig ‘dirt’ out of the buttress of the arch with his fingers. “Is that legal, Ed?” “Sure it is...there. See? It’s 37 inches after all..-write it up.” Travers, who had always taken a low-key approach to arch hunting, finally met Reuben _and Ed in the early 80s. The three compared lists, and whenever Doug was in town the Three Archqueteers sallied forth into the desert sun in search of the golden arches. More often than not, the quest ended in a brouhaha. Reuben and Ed, in particular, failed to agree most of the time. ; “Ed,” says Reuben. “This is not an arch. This is a piece of exfoliated sandstone.” “What are you talking about?” exclaims Ed. “It meets the criteria!” “T don’t care. It is NOT an arch!” AEISW Reuben walks to the disputed “arch” and stands on it. “There!” Reuben growls. “Now it’s NOTHING!” “Now, now, gentlemen,” interjects Travers the Reasonable One. “Remember...I’m videotaping everything.” steiek aed ea ails The debate never ended. Stevens later reaffirmed his assertion that an arch was any rock opening larger than 36 inches, McCarrick went nuts. The numbers grew-to 2000:.:3000 and beyond. Scolnik abandoned arches altogether and started looking for rock art sites in Death Valley but could never get ‘arches’ out of his system. Years later, out of the clear blue, he’d call me and ask questions like, “Remember that arch near Herdina Park where I found the Dutch oven?” J didn’t, but he did. McCarrick, Scolnik, Travers & Stevens...the Arch Hunters. In 1973, professor Dale Stevens of Brigham Young University gave a certain credibility to arch hunting as a career move. With a group of students from BYU, Dale conducted a field survey of arches within the park “as part of a larger study of the geomorphic importance of arches and bridges in southern Utah.” He located 124 natural rock openings, 90 of which he identified as arches. Stevens also provided substantial data on criteria for determining types and measurements. Later, the study came to be known as “The Stevens List.” It was pinned to a closet door in the chief ranger’s office where it rarely received more than a cursory glance, until one day the fourth of the soon-to-be Arch Hunters entered our visitor center and shamed us all into giving it a closer look. CALENDARS Get yours af: Ee Travers continued his semi-annual trips and still finds a new arch or two, every time he visits.. Stevens and McCarrick eventually pooled their arch knowledge, experience, energy and love of arches, and produced the definitive book about rock openings—’The Arches of Arches National Park: A Comprehensive Study.” Sadly, Ed died of cancer in 1993 and a year later, Dale was killed in a motorcycle accident in Provo. After all these years, we still miss them. In one realm or another, the Arch Hunters carry on. continued on next page... BACK of BEYOND Bookstore PAGEI5 or ORDER ONLINE: www.calendars.com 4 |