This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Last summer my wife, Heidi, and I took two of our grandchildren on the back roads from Colorado to Utah, which included two days in Arches National Park. I had heard it was no longer possible to amble through the spectacular Fiery Furnace unescorted and enjoy the adventure of getting "lost" in its maze.
We talked about how wonderful it used to be and were saddened by the thought that we apparently needed a "guide." Fortunately, we were happily misinformed. Even in the tourist heavy season, we were able to take a short environmental course about the Fiery Furnace that was enjoyable and informative. It was a meaningful educational experience to enjoy with our grandchildren. The highlight of our trip was sharing the same sense of wonder in the Furnace with our grandchildren that we had experienced 40 years ago.
Bravo to the National Park Service! Although I don't doubt the integrity of commercial guides respecting the land, for Rep. Jason Chaffetz to say that, "commercial guides are the true stewards of the land" is ludicrous and insulting to the NPS. Thank you National Park Service for your excellent stewardship.
Tom S. Smart
Oakley