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Show THE ZEPHYR/ APRIL-MAY 2005 OUT. the BLUE Cathedral in the Desert emerges from the Powell Reservoir in Glen Canyon... A Cathedral in the Desert is Found It was the Summer of 1954. Burnett Hendrix and Harlon Beamont were on their burros, slowly making their way up Clear Creek, a small canyon just off of the incredible Escalante River Canyon in Southern Utah's Glen Canyon. Not many had preceded them here. They had been told that one of the most beautiful places on earth was at the end of this canyon, and they wanted to find it. They were told that it was a wondrous chamber that was narrow at the top and with a pool at the base of a spectacular waterfall. It reminded people of a cathedral, both because it was so beautiful but also because the sandstone varnish’s finger like projections stretched wpwards on the narrow canyon walls and looked like spires reaching into heaven. Harlon and Burnett were in the area, writing an article for the National Geographic magazine. Their work in that area was simple, find geologic features that were outstanding enough that could benamed and included in an The Waterfall...flowing again after 40 years. Skward from the floor of the Cathedral... OUT or "LIQUID STORAGE’ article that they preparing for tl gazi These two were explorers in this new land to be sure. But they were familiar, to a certain extent, with this unexplored area. Harlon Beament was a famed pilot and had already flown over the area identifying features from the air. And by the time they had gone up Clear Creek, Harlon and Burnett had explored many of the side canyons of the Escalante River. They had hiked up and measured the span of Stephen’s Arch. They had named LaGorce arch in Davis Gulch the day before. They had chosen that name for a simple reason. John Oliver LaGorce was the president of the National Geographic Society and they felt that if they named an arch after him, the article would have a better chance of being published. It worked as the article was published in September of 1955. Burnett had named Beamont Arch for his exploring buddy Harlon, he but never did get an arch named after himself. Grosvenor Arch, Cleft Arch, Elephant Arch, Jug Handle Arch, Jacob Hamblin Arch and Kodachrome Basin had already been named by this traveling duo. Now they were hiking up Clear Creek looking to find the chamber. It was not a long walk at all, but very spectacular. Even though they were loaded, their burros were not tiring. The trail up the canyon was Clear Creek itself. Slowly the canyon walls narrowed more and more until finally it ended ina large alcove. Cottonwood trees were all around them. The water was flowing but they could not tell where it was coming from, and they could not find the chamber that they were searching for. Slowly and with disappointment they began to exit thinking that they had hiked up the wrong canyon. Then Burnett noticed a small crack in the wall. They moved toward it. Could this be the entrance? It was so small. Slowly they entered the crack and rounded a corner and moved to the right. The sliver of the opening grew and then there it was - the chamber they had been told about. It was more incredible then they had even expected. It did look like a Cathedral. It was very narrow at the top with a large opening to the upper left that reflected a red glow. Out of that light, water ran over the brilliant sandstone creating the most beautiful waterfall that either had either seen, landing in a plunge pool below. It made music, like a choir, that echoed off of the chamber walls. The dark sandstone varnish streaked into the sky through the small slot overhead that indeed looked like spires ascending toward heaven. They were reverent. They were quiet. They were awed at what they This is what it looked like at II AM on March II, 2005 CATHEDRAL in the DESERT. Glen Canyon, Utah Thurston Drake, Rich Ingebretsen, Lance Lawrence, Brad Peterson. saw. Burnett looked to Harlon and said, "This truly is a cathedral, it is a cathedral in the desert". And so this marvelous wonder of nature was named. Rich Ingebretsen |