Poem: A Guide To The Uinta National Forest

Announce your arrival gently. Do not drive the beaten paths. You will not like what attaches itself beneath the wheels.

Any sustenance you bring with you will be absorbed whether that is by you or not. Keep a close eye.

Bring no more than four people with you.

The trees have eyes and limbs and veins and they will look and grab and pulse and you must breathe them in. Breathe.

Do not touch the streams after dark. The rocks you have thrown in will have grown to resent you. They will pull you in to rest in the mud just as you have done to them.

Bridges are safe as long as you do not look at their bellies. Walk as if you are safe and do not know what you are stepping on. They will know if you do. 

Fire is welcome, but do not look away. If the smoke gets in your eyes, do not look away. The wood is trying to taunt you, do not let it dominate you or you will join the pyres.

When putting out a fire, do not leave a single ember. That single ember will grow lonely. It will reach out with it’s dying breath for love and it will take the mountain with it.

Do not shoot the deer. They remember.

When hiking in the daylight, thank the bugs. Whisper to the bees, step around the worms, and offer some bark to the beetles. If you neglect this and invade their homes impolitely, do not be surprised to find them in yours.

Sign the visitors log to become immortal. 

If you must camp, remember what lies beneath you. Carbon moves and gathers and tics. Wear earplugs.

Climb the hills and trees if you must. If the branches do not get smaller and the hill does not crest, turn around and leave immediately.

Littering will never be tolerated.

Do not carve the trees. They will swell and bulge, bark cracking around the wound. Their eyes will widen and their roots will twist to follow you. Tread carefully and do not trip. 

If you encounter what you believe to be a bear, do not think otherwise. It is a bear. Do not look too closely at its feet or eyes. Its movement may seem too fast and its spine may stretch too far. Stop looking. It is a bear.

Timpanogos Cave is a beautiful stop in your stay here. If you touch the stalagmites, wash your hands in the water before leaving. The chemicals you will carry will never leave you. No matter how hard you scrub or how deep you burn.  

Fishing in the mountain lakes can relax you. Stay relaxed. 

If you emotionally discard something in the lake, your secrets are safe with Her.

At your campsite, you will know when you have overstayed your welcome. The rocks are old. They will bleed. Do not touch the blood. Pack your things and leave immediately.

The earth is not yours. It belongs to Them. They allow you to stay as long as they see fit. Do not overstep your bounds.