This past Spring I went

This past Spring I went driving through the American West. One of the places I visited was the Craters of the Moon National Monument. It’s in south central Idaho near Arco (The first city in the world powered by atomic power). The Craters of the Moon lava field covers 618 square miles and has more than 25 volcanic cones. It also has 60 different lava flows. The Presidential declaration which named it a national monument said it “…has a weird and unusual landscape peculiar to itself…” {{<figure src="/images/cratermoon1.jpg" title="" class=“align-right” >}}.

When I arrived on April 6th, 2001 it was lightly snowing and snow had not yet finished retreating. The contrast between the pitch black lava and the pristine snow was eerie. In 1864 Julius Caesar Merrill said he was glad to put the “desolate, dismal scenery” behind him, to be rid of such a sterile, “unvarying mass of black rock,” or in even more negative terms, “black vomit.” I was struck by what promoters of the region called the “queer shapes” and “roughness” of “these wonderful fields” to be “food for contemplation” rather than worthless desert. Only a truly thoughtless person would not be inspired by this lanscape to meditate “upon the past, present and possible future of this mundane sphere and its inhabitants.” I can only imagine how amazing it would have been to be one of the first white settlers to explore the area and go about naming all the formations.

After I finished in the North Crater I went to the Devil’s Orchard which is where most of the interesting variety is. {{< figure src="/images/cratermoon3.jpg" title="" class=“align-left” >}} When I saw the small black rocks where the lava had been broken up I immediately imagined that was what the Moon looked like. Later I learned that NASA astronauts trained at the craters in preparation for their moon landing so they would know which rocks would be geologically significant. I was surprised by the signs they had along the trail in the Devil’s Orchard. Instead of the usual natural/cultural history blurb it was something you might see in an art museum. They encouraged you to find the beauty, or lack thereof, in the surroundings. One item in the Devil’s Orchard that is particularly striking are the Witch’s Brooms. What happens is a bacteria attaches to parts of the tree and secretes tree growth hormones so those branches grow like crazy. Initially Park Service policy was to remove all trees infected with the bacteria, however they later reversed that policy when they decided the trees had their own odd beauty.

After the Devil’s Orchard I went to the part of the park where most of the cones are. {{<figure src="/images/cratermoon2.jpg" title="" class=“align-right” >}} I found the Inferno Cone and begin the steep climb on that weird crunchy, spongy black rock. My ears were burning from the cold, harsh wind that was blowing as I neared the top. Take a look at this tree that was up on top and you will get a feel for the wind. It was one of the few trees in the entire park. It was a remarkable view on top. The lava fields stretched on forever with little snow bunkers dotting the landscape. I can’t stress enough how completely different this area is from any other place I’ve seen in North America. In a trip that was full of transcendant beauty that included Canonylands and Arches in Moab, Muir Woods, the Rocky Mountains and rural Oregon this one still managed to etch an indelible memory.

I imagine most people are like me in the sense that if they could live their life travelling, hiking, camping and visiting all the great places of the world they would. Visits to places like these are similar in an odd way to the recent terrorist attacks. They completely reframe all my petty problems and bring my attention to the things that truly matter. I hope someday when I decide to go drive a few thousand miles for a few weeks I have someone to do it with. I’m beginning to believe that my solo odysseys leave me with only part of the experience. I alone could never comprehend all the splendor and wonder in these places.