San Rafael Swell
Utah
Anatomy of a Swindle: Land Fraud as Government Policy, by Jeffrey St. Clair, Green River, Utah |
I stopped in Green River, Utah, for gas and a snack. I had been trying all morning to think of the name of that area I'd be going through, and all I could come up with was Santa Fe Rise, but I knew that wasn't right. So I asked the clerk what the name of that formation west of town was, something like Santa Fe Rise.
He said, "San Rafael Swell?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"They're gonna close it."
"Whaddaya mean?"
"Gonna close it. Make it a National Monument. I won't be able to play there any more."
I held my tongue (he was fairly large) but I was thinking, "Big baby. Can't play there any more. Ohhh."
Making an area into a National Monument doesn't mean you "can't play there any more." It means the rules for protecting the area will be changed somewhat. And that part of Utah is nearly empty, so there must be plenty of places to play. It is 75 miles with no towns from the Colorado Border to Green River, and 110 miles from Green River to Salina, the next town. Lots of room.
Anyway, here's the San Rafael Swell, which I hope is soon a National Monument or some other designation of protection and tourist enhancement (I know, those are incompatible). The photo above shows a truck approaching a crack in the mountain. The freeway goes through that crack, and then you see this:
The rest of the scenery around about is equally spectacular.
Photos and text
©D.L. Mark 2002
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