Evening star., 1951-05-20
Personalities and Impressions
Canyon Country's Wonders
Make Trip Worth While

rising from road absolutely clea,
of snow, and she sun was shining
brightly. We were nearing tn,
edge of the Painted Desert, ane
there wasn't a snowflake in sight.
| On Route SO. we were on oul
way to Marble Canyon and thu
Navajo country. Impassiye Indiar
women were seated on sage-cov.
cred hillocks viewing in Sunday
calm the passing cars from many
States. Until we reached Flag
staff our D. c. tag seemed to be
the only one on the highways. We
had seen licenses from 80 States
Quebec. Ontario, Alberta and Brit
ish Columbia.
Truck Indicates Progress.
In little settlements or in re-
mote areas, where theirs seemed
to be the only habitation, we
could see the Indian hogans, with
their one closed door and smoke
from their pit fires curling from
the only other aperture at the top.
Shaped like Eskimo igloos, they
are a dark, grayish brown, built of
adobe smeared ovre wood frame
work.
These Navajos live a marginal
existence. Among the slightly
more prosperous, a dilapidated
truck is evidence of progress.
Herdsmen we saw along the high
ways tending f1ocks of sheep and
goats have a simple, elementary
dignity that is compelling.
At an altitude of 5000 feet, we
found ourselves in the midst of
another snowstorm. heavier than
the one we left behind. Our
courage was evaporating when we
reached Kaibab and Jacobs Lake
Lodge where there was a tele-
phone. Once again Mr.. Evans got
in touch with Chief Ranger Eager
gren. Once again he encouraged
us to keep coming" with reassur-
ance that the altitude dropped to
1000 feet further along and we
would come into sunshine and dry
roads.
1t took faith and courage to
proceed. with the wind howling
and snow swirling about US, but
we went. Once we were In the
lower inclines. there was vivid
sunshine. We skirted cattle lap
ping UP puddles from a recent
rain on rapidly drying road.
From then on, as we drove
through mountain ranges on our
way to Kanab. we encountered
kaleidoscope changes of rain.
snow and hail with sun in be-
tween. The roads absorbed the
moisture as rapidly as it de-
scended.
We wanted to spend the night
at Kanab. but a Metro Goodwin
Mayer outfit on location for the
filming Of "The Western Queen" +"
with Robert Taylor in the lead,
had preceded us by three weeks
and occupied every accommoda-
ton. even to the townspeople's S
houses. We had captured the
spirit OF the hardy pioneers who
had pushed on to Zion Canyon
long before us and were realizing
that goals await the venturesome,
20 on we went. We were almost at
he gateway to the margels Of a
,anyon which we had driven 5000
miles to see.
Canyon Of Many Colors.
Chief spectacle Of Zion National
Park, situated In the heart Of the
desert and canyon country of
Southern Utah. is the great multi
|colored gorge. Zion. Our first
view Of the vermillion cliffs, mar
velous walls and temples, was of
red-topped heights blanketed in
snow and frosted vegetation.
On hand to meet us was Chief
Ranger Fagergren, who is to go
shortly to Mesa Verde National
Park, as assistant superintendent.
In Zion Park Museum, it was a
pleasure to meet an old friend of.
Yosemite Park visit, M. v. Walker,
now park naturalist at Zion. He
was formerly with the United
States National Museum. His
scale psychological diorama, de-
picting life and customs of the
Pueblo Indians is both colorful
and informative.
Zion Canyon was discovered in
1858 by Nephi johnson, a Nor
mon scout and has a geological
background stretching into the
mists Of time. Its base is not rock,
but a petrifled sand dune forma-
ton deposited by winds millions
OF years ago. then submerged in
water. Streaks in it's varicolored
formations, so vivid today, were
once successive layers of vegeta-
ton, cemented in turn by lime.
silica and iron.
Giant pines now rear their lofty
tops and in the lower inches, in
the canyon walls, green resurrec-
ton moss nestles. So does the
II ls-1