As a lover of Glen Canyon, I persuaded my husband to make a special trip out from Los Angeles to see Cathedral in the Desert before the waters rose again (HCN, 6/13/05: The brief but wonderful return of Cathedral in the Desert). On May 1, our anniversary, we paddled our boat in. Across from the waterfall, a small sandy hill was still out of the water, so I stood there quietly, listening to the water and feeling very fortunate indeed.

After half an hour of happy contemplation, we paddled out, and once around the corner, started the engine and proceeded slowly. "I don’t see what the big deal is with that spot," my husband said. "We’ve seen lots of other places around here even more spectacular." Just then, a man approached in a tiny boat. "Is it there?" he called out anxiously. "Oh yes," I replied, "and more beautiful than you can imagine!" We could see the man was almost overcome with emotion. Then he said, "I’ve been waiting all my life to see this." "Enjoy!" I called out to him as he passed by us. After that, my husband understood.

Crista Worthy
Pacific Palisades, California