Impressions of Canyonlandsby David LavenderSlick Rock We came to a stop on a wrinkled tableland of slick rock. Slick rock is a Utah staple. The eternal wind whisks the dirt off whole hills and vales, leaving nothing but the framework, like a coyote with its hide peeled off. Dawn It is an unforgettable experience to watch dawn from one of the canyon rims. The eastern mountains stand in hard, sharp lines against the sunrise. A golden glow models buttes and trees in high light and shadow. The world is awake -- except the canyon, its bottom still lost in fathomless black. Slowly the sun climbs higher. Deep down the purple shadows stir and swirl. Light breaks through the blackness, tinting the walls. As if your very eyes were sculpturing them, the great ribs and pinnacles and buttresses take their form. Excerpts from David Lavender, One Man's West. Doubleday, 1977. David Lavender was a Rancher-Settler-Writer who lived in and visited Canyonlands in the early 1900s. |
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