Day 8: Cathedral Wash

The uneven landscape of Cathedral provides more of a sense of the "wild" than Zion. 

It is perhaps experiences such as these that draw Americans to the wilderness. The river however, also represents evidence of human modification, notably in its colour.

Hiking down Cathedral Wash to the bank of the Colorado River is perhaps the closest experience one can hope to have of the vision of a wilderness characterized by a lack of people, and “shaped by natural forces”. Navigating the naturally created, uneven paths is hard going, and apart from the voices of travelling companions, the silence is pure and intense. At times, lizards run across the canyon walls, and birds fly overhead. Even here, though, the presence of airplane contrails far off in the distance act as reminders of civilisation. Reaching the tumult of the river, and hearing its roars, makes the appeal of the wilderness once again clear; momentarily, it allows one to forget about everything, and simply relax. Americans most likely do seek to retain the wilderness because they see it as allowing one to “escape the confining strictures of civilized life” (Cronon, 1996:13), and this is as far from the Strip in distance and spirit as one can get. 

A golf course in the desert?

Glen Canyon Dam. Notice the volume of water, against the water marks visible along the canyon walls.

But a visit to the Glen Canyon Dam reveals the truth that the Colorado River whose power we just experienced would by some people’s standards not be considered “wild”, as its flows are controlled, just like those of the even more iconic Niagara. We are told that the pristine river was in fact muddy, and that the current green color we observed would not have been visible in the past. This is again testament to the unreality of the idea of the 'true' wilderness of the aesthetic. More prosaically, the dam reminds us of the importance of the Colorado River to the region, for as well as being key to attracting tourists, it is also responsible for sustaining the life of residents by irrigating the region and generating electricity. All this human pressure is growing ever more intense, though; the low volume of water observable in the reservoir shows the region is likely to face increasing problems managing it most obvious resource.

Cronon, W. (1996) The Trouble with Wilderness: Or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature. Environmental History, 1, (1) 7-28. Available at: http://faculty.washington.edu/timbillo/Readings%20and%20documents/Wilderness/Cronon%20The%20trouble%20with%20Wilderness.pdf [Accessed 14 May, 2016]