I was delighted to see your story about the Udall
clan (HCN, 10/11/04: The Coyote Caucus Takes the West to
Washington). The story made me think about the time I first met
Mark Udall. It was May of 1976, and my two buddies and I were
camped on a bench above the Escalante River across from East Moody
Canyon. We were a couple of days in; we hadn’t seen a soul;
and we were thrilled to be there. We were standing around after
dinner, talking politics. It was primary season, and we thought it
was exciting that Mo Udall was doing so well. But we hadn’t
the courage to leave our vehicles parked at the remote trailhead
with “Udall for President” bumper stickers. This was, after all,
the year Robert Redford was burned in effigy in Kanab over his
opposition to the proposed coal mine on the Kaiparowits Pleateau.
Along about dusk, a lone hiker came walking along the
river, traveling light, looking very comfortable out there by
himself. This seemed a little strange, and we weren’t so sure
that we wanted to see anybody in our personal wilderness. The
bearded fellow came over to talk with us. Said he was scouting for
an Outward Bound course, looking for a good route for the group to
follow. And as we chatted, we turned back to politics. We spoke of
our hopes for Mo but wondered whether he could actually win. And
the solitary hiker — Mark Udall — finally grinned and
said, “That’s my Dad.”
At last, we have found
Everett Ruess, and he turns out to be Mark Udall. Mark has a
fundamental understanding of our relationship with the land that is
crucial to making enlightened decisions about public policy. His
land ethic is as solid as bedrock. I find it incredibly heartening
that Mark and Tom Udall are in Congress to represent us all. What a
gift.
Stephen Trimble
Salt
Lake City, Utah
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Everett Ruess lives!.
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