Along the Continental Divide…
Along the continental divide, high in the Rockies, is where I was several weeks back. It wasn’t my first visit to these sky-scraping, cloud-catching, glaciated landscapes of granitic rock. Good health willing, it won’t be my last. At my age though, time is not on my side.
My journey began on a Tuesday, in the month of September. I was in the headwaters of the Green River. This drainage or watershed is one of Mother Nature’s water towers.
I was at the trailhead shortly after sunrise, breathing in clean fresh air that only 9,300′ can offer. Air that was a refreshingly cool 40 degrees F. After stretching cold muscles, I lifted my backpack over my shoulders, grabbed my trekking poles, and headed out.
I was embarking on a 5-day solo backpack into some of Wyoming’s most famed and spectacular backcountry. Deep into a Class I wilderness area managed by the U.S. Forest Service is where I was venturing. Recreating on public land owned by you, me and our fellow American citizens.
The Water Cycle…
During these 5 days I thought much about the fate of the water I encountered – the wetlands, ponds, lakes, streams, snow fields, and glaciers. Here I was, a thousand miles from where this water should, someday, flow into the ocean. But the odds of that happening is low as this water will encounter many uses and obstacles along its downhill journey.
To some, that’s not good. For some, that’s not bad. With others, it’s just the way it is.
You see, there’s recreation uses before the water even leaves the National Forest. Then there’s use by towns and cities, ranches, and industry as the Green flows south through western Wyoming before entering Utah.
Once in Utah, before the Green merges with the Colorado, similar water uses as in Wyoming take place. Then what is left flows through the Grand Canyon and into Arizona, where some is diverted to places like Los Angeles to flow out of a bathroom faucet in a fancy hotel.
Fathom all of this for a minute. Fathom how snow and rain that falls from the sky in Wyoming is an ecosystem service to you and others on it’s thousand mile water cycle journey to the sea.
And then ask yourself about the importance of protecting national forest water towers, sources of water supply in areas that most users of it will never see or truly appreciate.
Hope to meet you in a water tower soon…
Until then…
Cheers…