2009.07.18 Archeology of Kitchen Corral Canyon

As part of the “Walks and Talks” series co-sponsored by the Grand Staircase Escalante Partners and the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (GSENM), this group hike took place about 20 miles east of Kanab at the Kitchen Corral Canyon.  The group met GSENM’s archeologist Wade Parsons at the GSENM Kanab Visitor Center at 9:00 A.M. and we all carpooled to the site.  The Walks and Talks series promote “learning from the land”, and that, we certainly did.

The small group was led by Wade Parsons & Colleen Nicholas , both GSENM Archaeologists, and included Brad, who is also a knowledgeable Archeologist, Marty Feely, a GSENM Park Ranger and a few others who seemed quite educated in the field.  We were, without a doubt, the most uninformed members of the group, but we made up for it with our enthusiasm soaking up every word from the other members in the group.

The area around our new house never ceases to surprise us with it’s hidden treasures and we are both realizing that the ordinary things we see here every day contain many stories about the people who once lived here if we just take the time to see instead of just look.  If you have never been with a trained park ranger or archeologist in the field, you might be surprised to learn that you may be pretty ignorant as to the details of the ground that you walk on.  It amazes me the amount of knowledge these people have, their ability to see things that are right in front of us but our untrained eye does not notice, and especially their absolute passion for their work.  To see Wade and Coleen and Brad find a piece of pottery and still be so excited after handling thousands of shards and artifacts over the years, gives credit to their passion of this land and it’s history.  We heard each of them at different times exclaim how lucky they are and  how much they love their “jobs”.  It seems to us that being wealthy and rich might just have a meaning not associate with money.  If you are looking for something that you are truly passionate about and can understand life, not just as we know it today, but millions of years ago, you might actually be one of the richest persons on the planet.

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