DesertBeauty

SkylarSmith

Abstract:MysenseofplaceinthisessayisIndianCreeknearMoab,Utah.Thetypeof
relationshipIhavewiththisplaceisamixofspiritualandrootedness.Aquotethatbest
capturesthisis,ItwastheplacewhereIlearnedhowtotrustmyowngearplacements
intherock:anentirelymentaltypeofclimbing.ThereasonIgetupinthemorningisso
Icanexperiencethatrushofadrenaline:fear,thenjoy,fear,thenjoyfailure,then
success,failure,thensuccess.Mysenseofplaceisaplacethatisstunningand
beautiful,andfullofthethingsthatIlovetodoandexperience.Myenvironmentalethic
isconservationism.Anexampleofthisinmyessayis,Myhopeisthatthisdistinct
placeisrestoredthewayitis.Ihopethegroundcanremainunlittered,theaircanstay
fresh,thecowscangrazethegrass,thecampingfeelsremoteandsilentandthe
climbingfeelsuncrowded.

A2hourdriveheadingnorthwestfromDurango,Colorado,willleadyoutothe
mostunique,intriguingdestinationonEarth:alittleplacecalledIndianCreek.
Drivingthroughthewinding,snakelikeroadthroughthecanyon,thestriking
sandstonebuttressescapturemyperipheralvision.Attemptingtokeepmyeyesfocused
ontheroad,mymindwillnotceasetoresist.Eventually,Iarriveatthecampground,
locatedatthebaseoftheBridgerJacktowers:acollectionofmergedsandstone
pinnacleswhichsitatopasteep,severalhundredfootdirtridge.TheSixShooter

peaksawaitinthedusklighttothenorth,andtheendlesssandstonewallsconsumethe
darknessofthenightinthesouth.Alone,Isetupmyonemantent,startafire,and
preparemymealfortheevening.SittinginmyHelinoxchair,Iobservetheilluminating
moonandstarsthatprovideapeacefulnightforthevastdesertlandscape.Isilently
thinktomyselfwhatabeautifulplaceIaminrightnow.Myhopeisthatthisbeautycan
remainthesameforaslongaspossible.Mymindkeepsponderingaboutthis
spectacularenvironment.ThecoolautumnnightbreezeflourishesmybodybeforeIzip
upmytentandresttranquilly.
IndianCreek,despitethename,isaworldfamouscrackclimbingarea.The
idiosyncraticlandscape,sandstonewalls,towers,buttresses,andboulderslurepeople
infromallovertheworld.IndianCreekismostlyfamousforitssplittercracks.Splitters
arestraight,uniform,andparallelcracksthatstartfromthetopofthewallorformation
ofrock,andrupturestraightthroughtheground.In1976,EarlWiggins,EdWebsterand
BryanBeckermadethehistoric,firstascentofthedesertclimb"Supercrack",an80foot
splitterfistcrack.Backinthe20thcentury,itwasextremelydifficulttoprotectyourself
whileleadingtheropeuptheclimb.PeoplelikeEarlWigginsclimbedSupercrackwith
onlypiecesofmetalshapedlikehexagons,wheretheywouldshoveinthecrack,twistit
down,cliptheropetoit,andhopeitstays.Nowadays,climbingismuchmoresafe,and
climbingiseasytoprotectatIndianCreek.Notonlyitsstrikingbeauty,butitsfun,
challenging,physical,andmentalchallengescontinuetodrawpeopleinfromallover
theworld.

*****

Thewarm,morningdesertsunbeamsdirectlyintomymyeyescuttingthrough
theflyofmytent.MyeyescreakopenasIleanup,stretchmyarms,andletouta
resoundingyawn.Izipopenmytent,walktothebackofmytruck,poursomecerealfor
myself,devourabananaanddrivebacksouthtotheBattleoftheBulgebuttress
whereImeetagroupoffriends.Igetoutofmycar,greetmyfriendsaswearethrilled
toclimbforthewholeday.CAWCAW,Ihearabirdsoarthroughthecanyon.Asthe
crowflies,myeyesfollowasitdisappearsbehindoneofthehundredsofsandstone
walls.Themorningsarealwayscrispandcoldinautumn,butoursoulscravethe
captivatingandcollosolingcracksofthecrypticdesertlandscape.Ismellthefresh,
clean,cold,unpollutedair,theshrubsandtrees,anddrydesertlandscape.Weallhead
uptothemorninglightbeamingdownontothewall.Ashort,10minutehiketakesusto
thebaseofthewall.Thelightsoonhitsmyface,warmsupmybody.Ifeelenergized,
anxious,andcravingtobeonthewalltofeelthesoft,texturedsplittersandstone
cracks.

Myfriendsoonputsmeonbelayformyfirstclimboftheday:asplitterhand
crackinaleftfacingcorner.Itieintothesharpendoftherope,gathertheprotectionI
need,tapeupmyhands,strapmyshoeson,andstartclimbing.Whileclimbing,
especiallyatthecreek,Ifeelcomfortable,asifIwereathome.Everythingfeelsnatural
andIfeelastrongsenseofbelonging.Iviewthisasasixthsense.AfeelingthatIcrave
morethananyothersenseinmybody.Moreover,whenIamholdingontotherock,I
feelattached,psychologicallyandspiritually.Icarefullylockinahandjam,crammyfoot
intothesandstonebelowme,thenreachforacamalotclippedontoagearloopofmy
harness,hopingthatIhadpickedtherightsizepieceofprotection.Placingitintherock
Isaytomyself,yes!,itfit!Eventhoughclimbingwithplacingyourownprotectionis
muchmoresafenowadays,itisstillfrighteningtomanypeople.Icontinueclimbingwith
thathighlevelofadrenalineandfear.Adrenalinefromtherushofclimbingabovethe
groundgivesme,andthefearthatIamrelyingonapieceofmetalshovedintotherock
thatmayormaynotholdifIfall.Thatmomentofrealizationtriggersmyinneranimal
andsoul.Ilovethatfeelingofbeingwild.Beingsomeonewhoislivingpurelyinthe
moment,surroundedbyanoverwhelmingamountbeauty.Apersoninthemiddleofthe
desertwithfriends,laughs,struggles,andlivingsimply.
WhenIfirstmovedtoDurango,IcametoIndianCreekalot.ItwastheplaceI
wasintroducedtocrackclimbingandtheplacewhereIlearnedhowtotrustmyown
gearplacementsintherock:anentirelymentaltypeofclimbing.ThereasonIgetupin
themorningissoIcanexperiencethatrushofadrenaline:fear,thenjoy,fear,then
joyfailure,thensuccess,failure,thensuccess.Mysenseofplaceisaplacethatis
stunningandbeautiful,andfullofthethingsthatIlovetodoandexperience.
ClimbinghashelpedshapewhoIamtoday.Ithastaughtmehowtopushmyself
outofmyphysicalandmentallimits.Ithastaughtmehowtopersevere,workharder,
andtonevergiveup.Ithastaughtmehowtobeabetterstudentinschool,togetwhatI
wantandtofightforwhatisright.WhenIstruggleonaclimb,orreallywanttocomplete
it,Igetobsessedwiththatparticularclimb.Thisobsessionleadsmetotrainharder,and
havemoredriveandwillpower.NotonlyhaveIappliedthistoclimbing,buttomy
academiclifeaswell.IfIamstrugglingonanassignment,orwanttodowellonit,I
pushmyself,challengemymind,learnhowtodoit,andperfectit.ThatdriveIhave
deepinsidemewillcontinuetohelpmethroughoutmyentirelife,especiallywhenIam
livingonmyown,anddoingthingsindependently,awayfromhome.
Myhopeisthatthisdistinctplaceisrestoredthewayitis.Ihopethegroundcan
remainunlittered,theaircanstayfresh,thecowscangrazethegrass,thecamping
feelsremoteandsilentandtheclimbingfeelsuncrowded.Inthepast,Ihaveseen
beautifulclimbingareaslosetheirattractiveness,anddisrespectedbouldersgraffitied
on,cigarettebuttsandothertrashlitteredontheground,bigchalkedtickmarksonthe
rock,etc.Thisisatimewherewehavetotryhard,andspreadawarenessonhowmuch

us,ashumans,haveontheenvironmentaroundus.Ifweinspireotherstocleanup
afterthemselvesandothers,wecanmaintainabeautifulplaceforalongeramountof
time.
Climbingisanunusualsportandactivitythatwilltakeonetoplacesalloverthe
worldthatonemaynothaveeverbeentoifitwasntfortherock.Thecommunityof
climbersareusuallyfriendly,andgenuine.Everyonerespectsthenaturetheyarein,
andthepeopletheyarearoundpartofthereasonwhyIlovethesportsomuch.My
loveforthesportandbeingoutsideinnaturehasexpandedtremendouslyinthislast
decade.Ihopethatmypassionforthesespecialplacesremainsthesame.Hopefully,
withthesupportfromeveryoneinthesecommunities,climbingareaslikeIndianCreek
canbeconservedthewaytheyare.Letstryhardanddoitright!