Death Valley National Park
California
June 2009
A number of rules tell us what not to do on land overseen by the U S National Park Service. Here are some of the rules. Do not…
. remove rocks, plants, fossils or antlers
. pan for gold
. gather wood, nuts, berries or fruit
. feed wild animals
. climb, walk on or deface structures, rock formations or cultural artifacts
. throw rocks — this includes rolling rocks downhill
. use a metal detector
. release helium balloons (who knew?)
. smoke marijuana
This list is from the Department of the Interior document called Management Policies 2006.
It’s not so bad; you can still have fun. And besides, what’s the benefit in owning rocks, of possessing so much material stuff. I mean, take a few photographs, make a journal entry or two, God forbid take a selfie, share stories of your trip with friends. Live the experience! That’s the real value.
And yet, I’ve got this rock. It is in my front yard. It is very heavy.
This rock came from the Natural Bridge Trail in Death Valley National Park. It was over 100° and this rock weighs at least 40 pounds. We carried it out of the desert by hand.
I’m not the guy who litters a park, I’ll put trash in my pack and carry it out, I take lots of photographs (as you know) and I believe in treading lightly on fragile areas to avoid injuring plant life. But this one was too good to resist. I’ll make it up to Earth and to other tourists as best I can.