MONUMENT VALLEY, HOLLYWOOD'S BACK LOT

 Monument Valley encompasses parts of Utah, Arizona and Colorado

  Featuring plateaus (long and flat), buttes (a shorter version shown on the

right) and mesas (tall and flat shown left in front of the plateau.)

Monument Valley

Looking across the dusty plains of Monument Valley you expect to see John Wayne astride a galloping steed wearing his high Stetson hat being chased by fierce Indian braves. If that image comes to mind, it’s probably because you've probably seen several movies with him doing just that. But as beautiful as the place is, how did this remote, arid Navajo land ever become the quintessential movie set? Well, it all started with a man and a dream, Harry Goulding.

The Goulding Trading Post

Tall and lanky, his sinewy frame baked in the hot desert sun, Harry sat astride his horse and looked out over the soaring mesas and flat plateaus and knew he’d found a new home. On that fateful day in 1921, it never occurred to him he would be instrumental in also making it a famous stage for Hollywood movies.  He and his wife, “Mike”, were just looking for a place to settle down and start a new business. They purchased one square mile of this land from the State of Utah and set up a trading post, and for the next seven years traded with the local Navajo people out of  a 10’ by 12’ tent.

A millennium of sea creatures laid down their lives to be carved by the hand of nature

into limitless, fascinating shapes forever shifting, changing and forever

delighting the senses.

They managed to do all right in this ideal setting until the depression hit and hit hard. His Navajo friends were suffering and dying of starvation and Harry and Mike’s own existence on the land was in jeopardy. Out of desperation, Harry reached out to Josef Muench, a noted photographer of the area and asked him to enlarge several of his best pictures. He and Mike then packed up their “bedrolls” and set out for Hollywood looking to enlist the help of Mike’s brother, a Hollywood stunt man. Doubtfully, the brother pointed Harry toward United Artist Studios, and once there, Harry threatened to camp out on their doorstep until someone talked to him. Long story short, he quickly attracted the attention of director John Ford with the photos and the rest is history.

John Ford ended up making 25 movies in the Valley, utilizing the local Navajos as extras and using Harry and Mike’s Trading Post as headquarters. Harry had not only saved his land and business, but his friends the Navajo and literately put Monument Valley on the map. (photo is from a day of filming "Stagecoach" (1939) starring John Wayne). Courtesy of Google Images.

 The Goulding Trading Post. Lower right--John Wayne's suite!

Anybody ever hear of Kanab??

Goulding's Trading Post wasn't the only place that movie makers discovered in Monument Valley. Kanab, Utah  also attracted the talents of big name directors and actors. A total of 71 westerns, 15 non-westerns and 14 TV shows were all filmed in or around Kanab, Utah. Who would have thought?

Remember these movies?
"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949) starring John Wayne
"Mackenna's Gold" (1969) starring Gregory Peck
"Jeremiah Johnson" (1972) starring Robert Redford
"Maverick" (1994) starring Mel Gibson

Or how about these shows...?
"The Rainmaker" (1956) starring Burt Lancaster
"Planet of the Apes" (1968 and 2001) starring Charleston Heston, and Mark Walberg
"The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1969) starring Max von Sydow

And who can forget these TV shows"
"Gunsmoke" (1955-75) starring James Arness
"Have Gun Will Travel" (1957-63) starring Richard Boone
"Wagon Train " (1957-65) starring Frank McGrath
"How the West Was Won" (1972-79) starring James Arness

 Little Hollywood

We stopped for lunch in itty bitty Kanab on our way through Monument Valley. Although there wasn't any evidence of the ghosts of film greatness past that I could discern, we did spend a few minutes at a place called Little Hollywood. The front building housed a modest museum and gift shop, but the fun was in the back. Someone did a fair job of assembling a collection of  set pieces from various western movies and TV shows. I brought "Sean and Morris" (the stars of a new children's book I'm writing for my granddaughter) and with the help of Ken, our driver, as my Cecil B. DeMille, filmed our own western movie.

 Little Hollywood Museum in Kanab, Utah.

 Ken, our wonderful bus driver, is a former Forest Ranger. He deputized 

Sean "The Sheep", Morris "The Moose"

and I just before we landed in a jail cell in the saloon!

Ken deputizing Sean and Morris into the Forest Service up top.

The "boys" and I rotting in jail and later high tailing it out 'o town on the stage.

 

 Roadside jewelry stand. Our driver, Ranger Ken, demonstrates his roping skills.

Back on the bus, we settled down for the long drive into Colorado to see the next site on our list, the famous Mesa Verde Indian cliff dwellings. However, before leaving the stunning Monument Valley, we stopped by a road side stand to admire and buy these beautiful handmade jewelry pieces from the Navajo. I bought a lovely turquoise pendant for a fraction of what a store would charge. Besides, it felt good to support the Navajo community directly.

Deep Water Project--Providing wells for the Navajo

Driving through this land, one can't help but connect not only with it but with its first inhabitants, the native Indians. It becomes painfully apparent how much has been taken away and so little given in return. Many Indian families and communities lack even the basic necessities of life, like water. When the tour was over, I heard of an organization that is committed to digging wells for the Navajo in Arizona. It costs around $500,000 to dig one well. If you would like to help, the name of the program is Deep Water Project headed by George McGraw. You can find out more by logging onto DigDeep.org and see how you can be part. Thank you!

Next time: Mesa Verde, Durango and home!

Thanks go to Eric and Larry for use of some of their wonderful pictures. Thanks, Guys!!

LAKE POWELL AND SLOT CANYON

John Wesley Powell, the One Armed Indiana Jones of the West

We owe a great debt to the intrepid explorers who’ve risked their lives exploring the vast terrain of our country. Many of the natural wonders they found have become our treasured National Parks. Extreme risk takers, they are tough, fearless and possess an insatiable thirst for knowledge and adventure: like John Wesley Powell.

In 1869, Powell, a small, unassuming geology professor, arranged an exploratory expedition down the dangerous Colorado River. Even the loss of an arm in the Civil War didn’t stop Major Powell from taking on the mighty Colorado despite the fact that its raging rapids were known deathtraps. Up to this time, no “white man” had ever finished the trip alive. With ten men and four rowboats, he headed out from Green River City in Wyoming and ended in the Grand Canyon three months later. Battered and barely alive, only six men and two of the boats survived. However, they had succeeded in discovering breathtaking canyons and vistas of unsurpassed beauty. 

Powell later wrote in his diary that the Utah canyons have "...wonderful features--carved walls, royal arches, glens, alcove gulches, mounds and monuments. From which of these features shall we select a name? We decide to call it Glen Canyon."

Some of the amazing twists and turns of Glen Canyon. The white "bath tub ring" is made 

by receding water levels in the lake. (picture courtesy of Google Images)

Lake Powell and Glen Canyon

Partial map of Lake Powell and Glen Canyon

Described by Powell as the most intimately beautiful of all the canyons, much of Glen Canyon now lies under water. Finished in 1966, the Glen Canyon dam on the Colorado River created Lake Powell and 1,900 miles of shoreline. Providing not only a valuable water source for several states, but a recreational area as well, the 187 mile long lake has almost 100 side canyons to explore. Managed by the National Park Service, it was established as a National Recreation area in 1972.

Boating on the Powell

Instead of riding horses or mules through the canyons, we can now marvel at them from the comfort of a boat. After first visiting the Carl Hayden Visitor Center and taking pictures of the dam and Navajo Bridge, our tour group gathered at the dock at nearby Lake Powell Resort. Slathered in sunscreen, we clamored aboard a luxury sized yacht for an unforgettable cruise on Lake Powell. 

Pictured on the right are happy travelers, Walt and Barbara. Can you tell they

are having a good time? Look at the vistas in the background!

Every twist and turn and bend in the canyon evoked a chorus of "ooo's and ahhhh's!" Upper right, are some of our group traveling solo, buddies Eric, Dianne and me!

Video of our cruise on Lake Powell.

What is Navajo sandstone?

Much of the natural wonders we’ve seen over the last few days have been made of Navajo sandstone. Named in honor of the Navajo Nation it is, simply put, ancient windblown sand dunes solidified into rock. Formed while the giant dinosaurs roamed the earth in the early Jurassic period it is everywhere. Ranging over large parts of Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and Utah, it covers three times the size of the Sahara Desert! In fact, it is the basic structure of the entire Colorado Plateau.

Antelope Slot Canyon

After the cruise, we returned to Page, Arizona and our hotel. Our day far from over also included a trek to one of the best sites on the trip. After a quick lunch, we boarded safari like vans and with our Navajo guides, headed toward the jewel of all natural sandstone sculptures, Antelope Slot Canyon.
 

Elaine threatens to shoot me with her finger for getting the front seat (upper left)

and our guide, Slow Horse, (upper right) stands in front of the entrance to Slot Canyon.

 You can see  how narrow and tall it is.

(It's my understanding that Antelope Slot Canyon being on Navajo land, can only

be seen by special permission of the Navajo Nation. They allow only small groups

at a time. For more information: Antelope Canyon Tours )

With a day of over 100 scorching degrees, the instant coolness of the canyon was a relief. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I could see why they named it Slot canyon. The opening is so narrow it only allows a few people at a time to gather, and the deeper we went, the narrower it became until only one person at a time could pass.  The passages may have been narrow, but the sides of the canyon soared impossibly high above us allowing only slivers of light to illuminate our way.

 

I’ve seen pictures of the canyon everywhere, but to see it in person took my breath away. The towering walls made of multicolored sandstone, sculpted by the whorls and eddies of water erosion are smoothed and polished until they are gem-like. The changing light transforms each plane into a living art piece and that same light streaming down from a great height gives one the feeling of being in a cathedral. It is no wonder it is a scared place to the Navajo.

 

On the way back over the hot and dusty unpaved roads, I got to ride in the air conditioned cabin on padded seats. I only felt a little sorry for my tour buddies in the back, bouncing along in the oven heat and choking dust. But, for me, I had the good fortune of spending time with Leonard, our guide. I asked him what his Navajo name is and he answered, "Slow Horse". I should have asked him why his parents named him that, but I didn't. My guess it's because he was laid back,  and good-natured. Still is!

He had been the perfect guide, changing the settings on our cameras so we could take decent pictures and playing his flute deep in the canyon. And great for us, we would see more of him that evening.

 

We had a wonderful dinner and entertainment waiting for us after we cleaned up. It featured Leonard (aka Slow Horse) giving a talk and playing another one of his flutes for us. He also played the drums while a very talented hoop dancer picked up one by one dozens of hoops that he formed into several shapes. He didn't even drop one!

Next Time: Monument Valley

(Some pictures provided by Larry Miner and Eric Solberg. Thanks, guys!)