I spent the evening Friday watching the Fiery Furnace Video and renuing my $15 annual pass.
I expected my Saturday to be another adventurous day wandering the labyrinth, reflecting of discovery and making my way towards the Lomatium scrambles and rappels and eating lunch under Abbey Arch. I hadn’t been in there yet this year, so oh boy was I in for a treat. And not the good kind!
It wasn’t the scarring of the boulder near the crawl through boulders that wounded me so deep – it seems someone couldn’t find the crawl-through and rope-wrapped one of the boulders putting an inch groove into it when pulling the rope. It wasn’t the rope grooves in the big rappel. It wasn’t only the damage to the tree from pulling ropes or general webbing wear. This did upset me, but by this point I had already witnessed such devastation to the Furnace that I had never imagined possible.
Would you believe that this damage was actually performed by our public land managers?
There are now arrow placards glued to the otherwise pristine rocks marking a path that was previously meant for adventure and discovery. Plastic marker posts are jammed into cryptobiotic soils marking dead-ends and arrows for which way to go.
Perhaps I am ultra sensitive and really believed in the sermons we hear while watching the video. Don’t we really believe what is said here?
“Every step taken in the Fiery Furnace is an opportunity to protect it.”
“Please preserve the feeling of wilderness by not leaving any marks!”
“Exploring the Fiery Furnace.”
“The Fiery Furnace feels like a wild untamed place.”
“Treat each other and the landscape with respect.”
Well Superintendent Kate Cannon and the well meaning park service individuals we respect and love for protecting the well being of our public lands, YOU LEFT A MARK!
Again to quote the video: “If you’ve visited the Fiery Furnace before you know what a special place it is. We invite you to be stewards. Look for changes like damaged soils or graffiti and if you see something that concerns you tell us.”
“With Everyone’s help the Fiery Furnace will remain raw, vibrant and surprisingly full of life for you and future generations to enjoy.”
I will now post some photos…
Bill
I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one.
Ram
I was there a few weeks ago and was quite disappointed by the man made additions. I have observed a lot of man made resource damage in the last decade. I have often wondered whether the process of putting something in a permit system, thus making it coveted, does not draw more attention and crowds to a place. Or whether some critical mass of visitation was occurring. As often as I go, I am not encountering folks in the places I go. Chicken or the egg?
Anyway, the damage is real, as perhaps is the the veiled and unveiled threat to reducing or eliminating access to all or just allowing the guided tours. I understand that permits allowed for commercial groups may have been reduced, but these just follow the 3 hour tour route. In fact the arrows just follow the 3 hour tour, the 3 hour tour.
Which got me to thinking….who would rather and feel safer going canyoneering with…or perhaps just making policy?
Anyway, while I am conflicted about the arrow….. at least they made them harder to find….wait a minute!….trail markers made hard to find?
But the signs that that say dead end!!!???!!! No way. Get rid of those! For one, in almost half the cases, that is inaccurate. Second, I am more offended by the use of words and the more glaring locations these have been placed. Deep sigh. I am not done with that place. Treat it with care, please.
Ram
Phavant
I was there last month and sat through the video. The ranger had quite the long spill afterwards and mentioned the new signs. I spoke to the ranger at the desk while picking up my permit and asked why they had ruined all the fun. You could tell by her reaction that she was not a fan of it. She asked what my thoughts were and said that had been the general consensus. She made it seem like it was a test and that they could be removed.
NotBob
Part of the fun was freaking the wife out a bit.
gajslk
Sad. And ugly. I’m sure they got tired of going in after hours to find lost hikers. When we were there a year ago, the ranger tour was booked up a month in advance, so we decided to go self-guided, based off my 15 year old memory. Freaked my wife out a bit, but we made it.
Gordon
Deagol
I had family that went in there this past week, but I didn’t go. They told me about all this. Moab is a total %^&%#@ zoo beyond hope. Give it 30 years and every single last place will be a lost cause IMO. Humans do that.
John Styrnol
Don’t remember seeing any of that in Sep. Wonder what’s next?