My poor hat… It was my one piece of clothing. One can never underestimate the importance of a good hat in the outdoors for protection from the sun, rain, branches, and dangling spiders. Now, I feel so naked. Maybe because, by human standards, I am! It all started when I went looking for George in the Fiery Furnace…
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The Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park is a complicated labyrinth of sandstone fins and spires, not that hot in November, but with shapes and colors that made me think of being in a furnace. For a long time, no one was allowed to enter the Fiery Furnace without a ranger guide, mostly because it’s really that easy to get lost in there, but also on account of the cryptobiotic crust. FYI, cryptobiotic crust is like the glue of the desert. The network of cyanobacteria fibers holds the sand together so other plants can grip it and absorb the retained moisture. The problem is that it’s really slow to grow, and a single footprint can destroy decades of growth! Why does this matter, you may very well ask? Take out the glue, and the artwork falls apart!
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Anyway, I could go on for hours about cryptobiotic crust, but the really critical event of the day was losing my hat! See, after I watched the Fiery Furnace orientation video, promised never to step on the cryptobiotic crust, and got my permit, I got lost! Recently, the Park Service began to remove cairn stones from various areas of the park for not being natural enough. The problem with this is that, when there are no cairn stones to guide a non-native specie like myself, many lost visitors start blazing new trails that, in turn, make it easier for later visitors to get lost too. So, when a well-worn trail leads down a canyon, you’d think it would be a great idea to follow it. That idea only lasts as long as the short, box canyon!
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I set down my hat as a marker while I investigated one such box canyon, but by the time I came back, it was gone! Maybe the wind or a raven snatched it up, but no matter how it went missing, it was so! I spent almost three hours looking for it! I joined a group of nice folks who were celebrating Thanksgiving, although three of them had to turn back because of injuries. There were just too many dead ends! The sun sets early in November, so time was of the essence. Nonetheless, canyon after canyon led to dead end after dead end! I’d very nearly reached the point of sitting down and mourning the loss of more than my hat, when one canyon kept going, and it led up, up, up, into the sun!
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Arches has one of the most surreally beautiful skylines I’ve ever seen, and it could not have come into view at a better time! Though my hat is gone, I lived to complain about it, and who knows? With the holiday season right around the corner, I may find a good deal on a new one. Any suggestions?
Never burn out!
