Capitol Reef Temple of the Moon vandalism

JulieKT

JulieKT

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Sep 7, 2014
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Graffiti vandalism strikes again. Someone left their oh-so-important mark on Temple of the Moon, one of the monoliths in Cathedral Valley in Capitol Reef National Park. They gouged it in really deeply too. It will be very costly and time-consuming for the Park to fix. I am so very angry about this. I hate all vandalism in our natural public areas, but admit it strikes me even harder when it's my "home" park. And Cathedral Valley is so remote. Its remoteness makes this almost worse. No one is going out there to see some modern a**hole's marks on the rocks. But it's becoming so much more known and popular for people to go out there, which unfortunately means some jerks like this make it there too.

Anyway, thought I'd post about this here on the probably very off chance any BCP-ers were in that area last week (possibly June 6, maybe June 4) and saw any activity they might be able to report to the rangers, or happened to snap a pic that inadvertently had someone in the area who might have been the responsible party. You never know. Park investigators can sometimes do an amazing job tracking down offenders via social media, because idiots often post public photos of themselves doing illegal things on public lands. I once was out there with clients and we saw a boatload of tents set up right at the base of the temples (yeah, not allowed). I got pics of all of them plus the license plate of a car parked out there. When we got back to the visitor center I reported it and gave the pics to the rangers, but by the time a ranger got out that same afternoon, they'd uprooted and left.

Anyway. More education for the general visiting public is needed, apparently. You'd think people would understand not to do stuff like that, but apparently not. :(
 
JulieKT said:
Graffiti vandalism strikes again. Someone left their oh-so-important mark on Temple of the Moon, one of the monoliths in Cathedral Valley in Capitol Reef National Park. They gouged it in really deeply too. It will be very costly and time-consuming for the Park to fix. I am so very angry about this. I hate all vandalism in our natural public areas, but admit it strikes me even harder when it's my "home" park. And Cathedral Valley is so remote. Its remoteness makes this almost worse. No one is going out there to see some modern a**hole's marks on the rocks. But it's becoming so much more known and popular for people to go out there, which unfortunately means some jerks like this make it there too.

Anyway, thought I'd post about this here on the probably very off chance any BCP-ers were in that area last week (possibly June 6, maybe June 4) and saw any activity they might be able to report to the rangers, or happened to snap a pic that inadvertently had someone in the area who might have been the responsible party. You never know. Park investigators can sometimes do an amazing job tracking down offenders via social media, because idiots often post public photos of themselves doing illegal things on public lands. I once was out there with clients and we saw a boatload of tents set up right at the base of the temples (yeah, not allowed). I got pics of all of them plus the license plate of a car parked out there. When we got back to the visitor center I reported it and gave the pics to the rangers, but by the time a ranger got out that same afternoon, they'd uprooted and left.

Anyway. More education for the general visiting public is needed, apparently. You'd think people would understand not to do stuff like that, but apparently not. :(
Click to expand...
Cant educate stupid
 
So disappointing, especially that it was so far out there too.

A park could have a billion respectful, law-abiding visitors every year, but all it takes is one idiot to go and ruin something for everyone else. Such a frustrating problem.
 
Yep, the internet is wonderful showing the way to millions to come. Things that were passed by word of mouth are easily found now
 
Bob said:
Yep, the internet is wonderful showing the way to millions to come. Things that were passed by word of mouth are easily found now
Click to expand...
We're going to all have to start posting TRs like Jackson's recent one that doesn't say where it is. Either that or start backpacking in places like New York City.
 
I went w/ my girlfriend to Valley of the Gods, Canyonlands and Arches a few weeks ago. The literature handed out at Arches actually discusses the issue of graffiti on the rocks and how they're having to come up with better processes to handle the much deeper engraving that's apparently now become popular.

The fact a National Park has to "brag" about their new methods of graffiti removal is a punch to the gut.
 
I dropped by the Temple of Sun and Moon last weekend. The claim that someone must have used a chair or ladder to scratch that graffiti in seems inaccurate. Anyone 6' or taller would have no problem reaching it from the ground. It is pretty deep in some spots but not as much as I expected. On top of that, someone had recently taken a crap right next to glass mountain. Like right next to the parking as you walk to glass mountain 20 feet away where everyone gets to see it with all their TP just sitting there. WTF is wrong with people...

I'm 6'4" and this is where it was for me, and also how I feel about the people who did it.

78933

This is why we can't have nice things...
 
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