Hayduke Lives
©Bert Gildart: Often when we return from a long trip, there accompanies some kind of inexplicable adjustment that results in sleepless nights. Invariably, so as to not toss and turn, I reach for a small backpack headlamp I keep on my bed stand and then read for awhile. Last night, about 2 a.m., I reached for the headlamp and began reading a new book by Doug Peacock entitled, Walking It Off.
I knew Doug from the years he and I shared in Glacier where I worked seasonally. At the time, Doug had acquired a reputation from Edward Abbey’s book, Monkey Wrench Gang, a book about eco-terrorism.
In the book Doug Peacock, who was truly a war-torn Vietnam veteran, becomes George Hayduke, and as Hayduke, he blows up Glen Canyon Dam. Though I’m not for eco terrorism, I empathize in this fictitious case, for the canyon was once one of America’s most beautiful, preserving marvelous petroglyphs and other Indian artifacts, as well as much rare beauty.
For those who are familiar with Edward Abbey, you may know that he also worked seasonally with the National Park Service, and first established himself in the literary world with his book, Desert Solitaire, essentially about Arches National Park. The book is an environmental classic, enjoyed by many from all walks of life. The only criterion for enjoyment is an open mind.
In real life I met Doug Peacock in the early 1970s when I backpacked a six-pack of beer up to Huckleberry Lookout, which Doug had been manning in Glacier National Park that summer. At the time, he was gathering information for his first book, Grizzly Years. Huckleberry Mountain provided an excellent location for part of his research, and that night as we walked together down the 4-mile long trail we encountered eight grizzlies, essentially because of his insistence that we walk quietly.
That was a spooky night, but the books that have subsequently followed suggest that Hayduke still lives, though probably in a more productive and influential manner.
PETROGLYPHS: Since that time, Doug has become a highly respected environmental writer, and the book I picked up last night recounts his life in and around the area Janie and I just left, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Adjacent to the monument is the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, and after learning that this is where Doug helped bury Edward Abbey in 1989, the area is now one that I want very much to see…
Like Arches and Glenn Canyon, the Cabeza Prieta also has petroglyphs and though the photo here is from Dinosaur, this image suggests what is now buried beneath Glen Canyon; and what is also imperiled in the Cabeza Prieta, in part because of illegal immigration.
Sadly, the remarkable stone carving represented by my image is also imperiled because of thoughtless visitors. Note the bullet holes near the center—and this is in a national monument…
It’s enough to keep one tossing and turning, but last night’s reading did help put me back to sleep. Now I’m charged and ready to return to the unpacking of our Airstream and the second bin in the back of our pickup. This box contains all of our kayak gear, and I want to make sure that items we thought we’d thoroughly dried are in fact dry. As well, we may want to wash several items to remove salt water.
Tonight, I hope I’ll sleep a bit better, but if not, I’ve still got several hundred more pages of Doug’s book to read, and so far I’m thoroughly enjoying it.
