"More than anywhere else I sensed that here one must fit into the landscape, must know what is there and where, in order to survive. These canyons, like the ocean and the air, are unforgiving. They are not places in which to be cavalier or careless. What ever direction, it's a long way out."
Zwinger, Ann, Wind in the Rocks, Harper and Row, New York, 1978, p. 4-5.
Safety is a primary concern when visiting Cedar Mesa. Minimizing impacts on the land also is essential and can be enhanced by thoughtful planning before and during the trip. Know your location at all times, the difficulties inherent to the terrain, drastic weather changes, and plan accordingly. Flash floods and hypothermia are real threats as are dehydration, lack of potable water, and scorpion and snake bites. Ann Zwinger is correct. It is a long way out in any direction.
If you plan a trip to the area, review the following areas that include a lot of lessons that were learned hard way by a lot of people.
Links available for Backpacking and Hiking in Grand Gulch:
Return to Cedar Mesa home page.
"All evidence suggests that tourism is the greatest single threat to the
archaeological resources of the Colorado Plateau."
Rick Moore, Grand Canyon Trust.
- URL of this page:
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/environment/cacv/'CACVTRVL.HTM'
- World Wide Web page by SCCS.
- Copyright ©1996, 1999 SCCS.