Utah Visit, July 2013, #6: Spiral Jetty

Even though a long drive and late night conversation kept me up into the wee hours, the morning after my return from Bryce Canyon came early. I spent the night on Patrick's hide-a-bed couch to avoid driving home groggy, and had hoped to sleep in, but (as is so often the case for me), my eyes popped right open bright-and-early a little before 8:00. Not wanting to disturb my nocturnal host, I quietly grabbed some breakfast, cleaned up my sleeping area, and made my way back to Salt Lake. My dad and I had planned another day together...this time to check in on another of my favorite Utah destinations: Robert Smithson's "Spiral Jetty."

Because it's an interesting visit and right on the way, we also pulled in first for a quick look at the Golden Spike National Monument. As luck would have it, we were right on time for one of their daily steam-engine demonstrations. Working replicas of the two engines that met face-to-face when the Union and Central Pacific rail lines were joined in 1869 still sit atop the rails in lavish Victorian finery...a striking presentation in the otherwise sparse and semi-arid landscape. Several times throughout the day, each of the two engines takes a turn traveling up and down the tracks giving visitors the chance to see and hear the powerful machines in operation.

We arrived only minutes before the Union Pacific 119 was to take its turn in the spotlight. Costumed volunteers climbed aboard the engine and waved at the small crowd of spectators. Steam hissed as polished wheels chugged their cargo slowly backward to a point where an alternate track would allow it to steam forward for a second pass. During the display, a park ranger related the history of the transcontinental railroad, and explained features of the engine and its operations. He cautioned us repeatedly to prepare for the whistle blows...and for good reason! With each tug of the chain a Tooooot-TOOOOOOOOOOT all but exploded from the powerful whistle, sending the sound reverberating off distant hills, and the thrill of goosebumps up my arms.

Stimulated by such sights and sounds, it seemed easy to imagine how things might have felt when Utah was young and the railroad was in its heyday.

And then it was off to the Spiral...

During one of Rob's visits a few years ago we decided to make trip in order to admire both Smithson's genius, and the work of Rob's uncle Bob Phillips...the foreman contracted to move all those  tons of black basalt into place. We braved the rough and washed-out road to Rozel Point as far as it would safely take us. The bumps and ditches eventually got too big for my little Yaris (not a vehicle I'd recommend for off-roading), and forced us to walk the last mile or two. The sun was really beating down that day, and as neither of us had visited the site before, we weren't even sure how far we'd have to walk to get there. As we rounded the point and caught our first glimpse of the immense spiral hovering above a shallow pool of almost ridiculously pink water, it was easy to forget the heat and lose ourselves in the structure's odd beauty.

This time 'round, Dad and I lucked out. Since that first visit, the road approaching the Spiral had been repaired well enough that we would've made it the whole way just fine...even without the nice tall pickup we drove that day. The route to Rozel travels through miles of wide-open privately-owned ranch land, little of which has changed since the artist's exploratory trip to the site in the late 1960s.

...we went down a dirt road in a wide valley. As we traveled, the valley spread into an uncanny immensity unlike the other landscapes we had seen. The roads on the map became a net of dashes, while in the far distance the Salt Lake existed as an interrupted silver band. Hills took on the appearance of melting solids, and glowed under amber light... 

--An excerpt from Smithson's writings reprinted in Robert Smithson: Spiral Jetty 

After crossing the final cattle guard, Dad and I continued south along a dusty sunflower-lined gravel road. We could see the lake off in the distance...an alluring pinkish-violet wall glittering above the expansive salt flat, baked bone-white under the sweltering sun. I wondered how the Jetty would look this time...black rock left sitting high-and-dry above a receded lake? Submerged and barely visible under a translucent curtain of water and brine shrimp? Corrupted by vandals? How much would natural entropy...a vital component in much of Smithson's work...have altered the site since I'd seen it last?

As it turned out, the Jetty appeared much the same as I remember...with a few surprises...

The water may have been a tad higher overall, and maybe even a more vibrant pink...

...puffs of foam (a result of wave action stirring up natural surfactants in the water), played alongside golden swirls of pollen floating on the surface...

With some well-placed steps over pools of colorful brine, we were able to walk the length of the spiral and admire its up-close charms...

...making sure to stop from time to time to admire a wider view...

...island mirages floating along the horizon...distant clouds reflecting in shallow water...

...flocks of pelicans flying in to shore, their huge wings whirring above us, radiant in the sunshine.

Our energy spent, we got back in the pickup and headed back home.

I was tired and a tad grumpy due to lack of sleep, but grateful once again to be back in Utah...this land of such varied and unexpected treasure...territory that has played host to so many peculiar moments of history, and continues to inspire hope and creativity among those fortunate enough to pass within its borders.