Reflections and Connections

Topographical map of the Salt Creek area of Canyonlands National Park. Courtesy photo

Describing the land we love with maps

When I was a Boy Scout, still wet behind my ears, I got my first look at a topographic map. I was instantly fascinated by all those brown squiggly lines indicating elevation changes on the ground. In contrast to the brown lines, which were never straight, I saw a network of very straight red lines...

Monico Lopez, my old friend

Years ago, I had the good fortune to spend a great deal of time with Monico Lopez Sr., father to Anastacio, Fidel, Monico Jr., and Sabino. Some of my best memories were made with Monico and his boys. The Lopez family had nicknames for everyone they met. They would pick a name based on a prominent...

Even after 100 years in the desert, there is evidence of the attention to detail that went into the construction of Kirks Cabin, an isolated homestead long ago abandoned in Salt Creek in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. Rob Adams photo

A Who’s Who for Kirk’s Cabin

Today, all that is left in the single room of Kirk’s Cabin are artifacts accumulated over the past 140 years. Rusted horseshoes, fencing staples, and harness parts litter the dirt floor. Ancient buckets and a rusted #4 steel-jaw leg-hold coyote trap hang from the walls. Together, these items...

Early morning in the incredible beauty of Salt Creek, located in the southern portion of Canyonlands National Parl. Rob Adams photo

If only these walls could talk... Kirks Cabin in Canyonlands’ Salt Creek

The memories of my formative years on this spot of earth have made it the only place I can ever call home. The rugged canyons, dressed in their colors, vivid and changeable, along with its history and people, have forever become part of who I am. Salt Creek Canyon is close to the top of my long...

Bill Winey was a colorful figure in the development of golf in San Juan County. He worked for the San Juan County Survey team but few knew of his background as a trained attorney and university-level golf coach. Photo courtesy Craig Leavitt

Personal heartbreak for “king” of local golf

Few people know that Monticello’s reputation for being that little town in southeast Utah with a great golf course began more than 70 years ago with a broken heart. For three years in the early 1950s, Willard Leo Winey Jr., (Bill to his friends), was the head golf coach at Kansas State University....

DeReese Nielson, one of the wild cowboys of long ago, showcasing his skills in the corral at Muley Point. Photo courtesy San Juan County Historical Commission and the Nielson Family

Wild cows and wild cowboys of long ago

DeReese Nielson was the first real cowboy I ever spent significant time with, and from him, I learned many life lessons. He was a cowboy’s cowboy, having learned the profession from one of the best, his dad, Ed. I’m sure his education started about ten minutes after he learned to walk, maybe sooner...

A snowstorm finally hit San Juan County on the night of February 13, leaving a beautiful foot of snow in Monticello. Rob Adams photo

Remembering snowstorms of long ago

I made it home to visit Mom in Monticello just in time for the snowstorm a couple of weeks ago. It began snowing on Thursday evening and continued through the night. The legendary Monticello wind had not yet started, and before I retired to bed, I stepped out and saw snowflakes falling gently...

Cub Scouts in the early 1960s in Monticello. They include (front Row left to right): Dow Young, Kirk Bailey, Rob Adams and (back row): Mike Hamilton, Kerry Freestone, Kim Lewis, Mark Williams. Courtesy photo

Great mothers, up and down the street

As I grow older, I spend more time reveling in childhood memories, and as I do, I can’t help but think of all the great mothers on our street. My earliest memory is lying on the kitchen counter on a summer morning. I was about two. The warm rays of sun came through the east window. My giant of a...

Opening day at the Blue Mountain Ski Area on February 14, 1959 from the pages of the San Juan Record.

Warm memories of skiing on Blue Mountain

I grew up spending my winter weekends at “the ski lift,” later christened “The Blue Mountain Ski Area” by the Forest Service. It was a 15-minute drive from my front door, and my dad forked over $1 for a kid’s lift pass every Saturday, hoping I would acquire some athletic skill he could be proud of...

How I survived childhood in a town of 1,500

One of the intangible historical artifacts that defines me is that I grew up in a small town. My memories of being a child in that enchanted place are priceless. Small-town kids have unique opportunities to develop creativity and common sense, which are unavailable in big cities. A favorite memory...