An extraordinary corner of the United States that no one had dared to explore for years

Somewhere outside of Escalante, a small Utah town full of drive-thru restaurants and dust devils, adventure tour guide Rick Green is exploring a strange frontier so wild and unknown that it’s one of the most mysterious places on Earth.

From the mountain land platform you can see a 30 meter deep gorge, which reduces from 30 meters in width to just 30 cm, down to the desert floor.

Nearby is a labyrinth of unexplored canyons where the rock veins are orange, the color of a perfect sunset. Silence reigns around them.

with extreme temperatures of 40°CRelieved only by the shadow of the canyon, Green presses on, aided by helmets, harnesses, climbing ropes, rappelling rings and carabiners that allow him to descend into the hidden canyon.

Besides that, there are few exits. “No one was interested in this place for a long time,” says Green, co-owner of Escalante Excursions Agency. “This is where the last mountain range in the US was named Henry. It is home to the last named rivers. It was the last place in the US to be explored in the 1870s. “Everybody kept passing by without entering here, because it was too dangerous,” he adds.

Unexplored places

Today, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah More treacherous and inaccessible It is a place full of complex plateaus, ridges, cliffs, and escarpments that have never been fully conquered or understood by any American, Native or not.

For example, it is larger than some states such as Delaware and Rhode Island. And, even more important for cartographers, it was Last mapped location In the continental United States.

Green estimates there are hundreds of canyons and slippery cliffs that have never been seen by the human eye, much less explored. Still, he’s made a living researching about 30 of the most accessible ones to better understand this wild corner of southern Utah.

National Monument seen from space a Huge spacious staircase which runs from the Colorado Plateau to the Grand Canyon. Nearby, it is an ancient labyrinth of jagged walls and towering tables.

It covers and includes a footprint of 1.87 million acres of public lands Five biozones (from lowland desert to coniferous forests) and includes the historic territories of the Anasazi and Fremont peoples.

Geographical puzzle

Also a national monument, first designated by Bill Clinton in 1996 A constant political concern.

Former US President Donald Trump decided to open the area to development by halving its area, but President Joe Biden backed down in October 2021 and issued a presidential proclamation revising the boundaries and restoring its conservation mandate.

The original decree states the reason for this designation: “This high, rugged and remote region, where bold plateaus and iridescent cliffs stretch into distances that defy human perspective, was the last to be mapped in the continental United States,” it states. .

“The monument has a long and proud human history: it’s a place where you can see how nature has shaped human endeavor in the American West, where distance and aridity have collided with our dreams and courage.”

To lend credence to the statement, historical accounts from the late 1880s explain that pioneers first made their way from Escalante to what is now Fortymile Spring in an attempt to chart a shortcut to the San Juan River, but were met. Braked by extremely rough terrain.

Proof, the declaration argues, was that no place in America was difficult to overcome. The most convincing chronology appears in the book “History of Southern Utah and Its National Parks” by Angus M Woodbury

A group of explorers was sent to investigate and protect the most rugged areas of the Kaiparowits Plateau, now part of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, but failed and returned disappointed.

For Ade Nelson, administrator of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the site remains both. Riddles and geographic puzzles which may never be fully resolved. “Because of the rugged terrain, there is Parts that are completely inaccessible And they will probably never be completely mapped,” he explains.

Outdoor laboratory

Today, the lands of this valley are a frontier in a completely different sense of the word.

Researchers call it a “monument of science” because the area has grown so large Outdoor laboratory which scientists use to better understand our environment, our history, and our planet’s past.

Inland is on top of mountains Oyster and clam shells of the Cretaceous ageFar from any ocean. Petrified crocodile And Tyrannosaurus rex footprints Three fingers are waiting to be discovered. Like a natural history museum on a landscape scale, it is filled with bones and fossils.

This unique context has led to hundreds of studies in the 27 years since the monument’s designation, from studying how its geology provides information about Martian hydrology to finding some of the oldest marsupial fossils ever found and discovering several previously unknown dinosaur species.

“On average, new species are formally recognized each year as a result of paleontological research conducted at the monument,” he explains. Megan CrandallA spokeswoman for the Bureau of Land Management, which covers all of the U.S. Serves as custodian of public lands.

“a Tyrannosaurus T2 Excavations in the Kaprovits Formation were so large that scientists did not know how to split the sample for transport.

human presence

What’s more, in a labyrinth-like topography, one might expect to find little evidence of human occupation, and yet the landscape harbors Scattered examples of ancient petroglyphs, traditional campsites, cemeteries and granaries. In fact, it is a treasure trove of Native American culture and folklore.

So far they have been healthy all around 162,000 artifacts From the place where the Anasazi, also known as the ancestors of the American West, once lived in 200 BC.

“Here the Anasazi really got away with almost nothing,” says the park administrator. Jamie Skidmorewho now devotes his time to giving voice to the ghosts of the past.

“It has always been a difficult place to survive because of the scarcity of water and food; “It is no wonder that this ancient community eventually fled due to hardship and famine.”

Tourism is now helping to change the perspective and the landscape is slowly opening up. Much of the monument remains inaccessible except on foot, and some trails can be explored through interactive maps maintained by the Grand Canyon Trust, a partner organization of the Bureau of Land Management.

Like cannons Peek-a-boo and Spooky And trails leading to places like Lower Calf Creek Falls and Willis Creek Narrows are places of unparalleled beauty.

“These lands are a source of inspiration and education for some and a source of peace, resilience and unity for others,” he says. Harry BarberManager of the Paria River District, part of the Bureau of Land Management in southern Utah.

“Every morning you can find me somewhere at the monument, usually jogging or cycling. I go there the next day to sharpen my mind. While walking down the street, I sometimes see other people, who I suspect are there for the same reasons.”

Earth is still the teacher, that is clear.

And yet, it can also offer unexpected lessons to travelers who arrive unprepared.

There is little or no telephone coverage throughout the monument. Junipers and pines cut their own branches to survive the extreme heat. Deaths are not uncommon after flash floods in the Valley.

It serves as a reminder that adventure—early, endless, unpredictable—is never far from America’s wildest national monuments.