An hour’s drive from Lancaster lays Red Rock Canyon State
Park. Rich in history, it was important to the American Indians, traders, and early settlers in ages past. It's a treasure trove
for paleontologists, which explains why they filmed the Montana dig scenes here
for “Jurassic Park.” The park continues
to attract film crews, locals, and tourists alike.
On the day of our visit, we drove into a crowded parking
lot. Families unloaded tools, pulled on
work gloves, and lifted handcarts from their vehicles. Others, armed with cameras, left their
cars. All headed out along the marked
trails.
We followed at a sluggish pace, pausing frequently to take
photographs of these unique formations.
While our digital cameras allowed us to experiment with shots and
settings, the lack of a viewfinder made it difficult to preview what the camera
would capture, as the sun shone down so brightly. We stepped off the path to let others by, as
they set out along the trails, or returned to their cars or trucks for more
supplies. Their conversation and
laughter made it clear that they enjoyed rebuilding the trails, and protecting
this area of natural beauty.
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| Jabba's Palace? |
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| A fortress of the Hyborian Age? |
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| Who guards this ancient keep? |
These strange formations spoke to us, suggesting structures
and settings from Science Fiction and Fantasy stories. The arid rock, with its different colored
layers, told tales of perseverance in the face of nature’s onslaughts. Statues and tableau chiseled by the best
sculptors could be no more impressive than the upraised, tilted, jagged, rippling
hillsides. Dry grasses, wildflowers, and
Yucca trees provided contrast, and increased the scope of our surroundings.
Men pulled handcarts laden with stone. Women dug plants from the path with
shovels. Teens laughed and conversed,
their cellphones never far from their hands.
Girls gathered more stones to line the paths. Some boys tried to roll larger stones, ones
they could not carry. After awhile, we
left the others behind. The sounds of work
and conversation drifted away. We were
explorers, journeying into an alien landscape.
What would we find around the next boulder?
There was only one way to find out.
Dragon Dave
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