AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2011 - 55

And I don’t image anyone else is flying a Waco over Moab this early.” I circle above the grass airstrip as the three men clamber into McKenna’s Skywagon, taxi for departure, and launch into the serene morning sky. The Cessna is faster than the Waco. But with the Cessna climbing and carrying a heavy load and the Waco relatively light and at a higher altitude, I’m able to swoop down and move into position on the Skywagon’s right side without delay. Golden light is beginning to reflect off the highest peaks to the southwest. The clarity of the air is such that the aptly named Orange Cliffs in Canyonlands National Park appear much closer than their actual distance of about 25 nautical miles, and we start flying toward them. Rose is bundled against the cold, and the whipping wind tugs at the loose-fitting sleeves of his jacket. But I’m close enough to see that he’s smiling, too, as the conditions for aerial photography on this morning are absolutely ideal—and there’s no place that those of us fortunate enough to be part of this flight would rather be than right here, right now.

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An ancient sea The Arches National Park slides under my right wing, and from this high perch the place seems more theme park than natural wonder. The intricate sandstone arches are encircled by winding roads that bring visitors in cars to the foot of each one. The exotic shapes are known to just about anyone who has ever watched cowboy western movies (or Roadrunner cartoons), and the complex formations appear oddly artificial, even though they’re genuine. The Colorado River is clear, slow moving, and relatively sedate near Moab, but it begins gaining speed as it winds through the steepening canyons downstream. A few miles to the southwest, a uranium mine is carved into the mountains on the west side of the river. The former rock walls were knocked down decades ago and made into terraced

“evaporating ponds” to separate precious minerals from water. Moab’s biggest population jump took place during the Cold War when the town marketed itself as the “uranium capital of the world.” Now, while mining continues, the place is better known as an outdoor sports magnet, especially for mountain-bikers, climbers, BASE jumpers, and off-road vehicle enthusiasts who come here from all over the world. (Canyonlands Field Airport has become an adventure center, too, with businesses offering skydiving, hot air balloon rides, and scenic flights.) Arriving at the Orange Cliffs, we circle in formation and take in the wondrous scene. The Colorado and Green rivers meet here, and I’m surprised that the Green River appears larger in volume as it makes its way south from its origin in Wyoming. The sun is well above the horizon now, and long, honey-colored shafts of light reveal rough contours on the valley floor. The rock walls that channel the Colorado River are steep and narrow downstream, and whitewater rages through Cataract Canyon a few miles below the place where the two bodies of water merge. We fly more than 2,000 feet agl over the rushing water. But the river, despite

AOPA PILOT • 55 • AUGUST 2011

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2011

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