4 N O . I 8 3 V O L . I U H Q
Modern Wanderings along the Waterpocket Fold
309 The Diary of Ralph Becker
Preface The Waterpocket Fold stretches like a reptilian spine across over a hundred miles of broken desert lands along the western edge of the Colorado Plateau. This protruding geologic feature stands out in a region of impressive rock formations—heavenly spires, contorted hoodoos, canyon gorges, majestic plateaus. Geologist Clarence E. Dutton referred to it as “probably the grandest feature of the kind in the Plateau Country, so far as known, and perhaps the most typical.”1 The fold, also sometimes called the “reef,” occupies a central location in perhaps what is the most remote corner of the state, making it an attractive plum for backcountry enthusiasts. Only the small towns of Torrey, Boulder, and Hanksville lie in its general proximity. For three weeks in April 1980 Ralph Becker hiked the length of it, for several weeks solo, the final week with a friend. Instead of following a defined route, he generally forged his own with the aid of topographic maps, sometimes losing his way but always reveling in the experience. By his own calculation, he walked 176.5 miles along the reef 1 Qtd. in Miriam B. Murphy, A History of Wayne County (Salt Lake City: Utah State Historical Society and Wayne County Commission, 1999), 2–3.