The park service believes this damage occured sometime between April 24-25th.
Based on footprints, the wall was probably pulled down by someone entering the structure.
I was just there on I believe the 22nd or 23rd for a sunset shot and the damage was already done. Needless to say I was furious with the stupidity of some careless individual. I'm seriously considering putting a button on my website titled "IDIOTS". Under this button, I'll start posting photos of all the damage I've been finding in recent years. Anyway, enough ranting. Here's a shot I took when I was there. I tried to crop out the damage but as you can see, the entire right side of the door was knocked down.
Yep, that ticked me off when I saw that last week as well. What possesses people to do such things is really beyond me. I wish they could track down the idiot!
This is truly despicable. I hope they find this person and throw the book at him, right along with all the lowlifes who vandalize rock art and leave piles of trash in the wild.
For perspective, though, let's not forget that some of the biggest "vandals" are our own elected officials. This one ruin pales in comparison with the untold numbers of ruins, rock art, and other archaeological treasures now under the waters of the so-called "lake" Powell. Let's stay vigilant on that front too.
You guys don't wanna know what I would be willing to do to someone if I caught them vandalizing something like that, I'll tell you one thing it won't be calling the cops, and that is as far as I am willing to admit
Being at a loss for eloquent words, I'm just going to say this sucks big time. There is something to be said for keeping the locations of some of these antiquities away from the general public.
Well, it is possible that this was "unintentional". The person may have just wanted to enter the grainary for a "photo-op" through the doorway. But even if you intend no harm, there are obvious reasons why the park service prohibits this - of course, those rules only apply to others.
For structures like these to stand for so long and weather so much, it's sickening that they can be damaged or even destroyed so easily by careless individuals.
Like structures in my native England "Stonehedge", all it takes is a few mindless people to ruin the enjoyment for the rest of us - the National Parks etc are forced to close off the areas to protect them.
Un-f*&#ing-believable. I'm so tired of jackass idiots doing stuff like this. I don't give a damn if it was unintentional. That some stupid moron might think it a good idea to shoot a photo from inside the ruin doesn't change my opinion of them and the punishment they deserve. Ignorance is not a valid defense. It's a shame natural selection didn't send them tumbling over the nearby cliff on their hike out.
"There is something to be said for keeping the locations of some of these antiquities away from the general public." This is precisely why I won't share any of the off-the-beaten path locations I find with anyone but VERY close friends who I trust completely.
Bret, well said. I couldn't agree with you more! This has been a sore spot with me for well over a decade now since some German idiot published exact directions to Coyote Buttes in the mid 90's. There is much more to this story about why it was a German that published the first directions out there. A person could go out there for days on end and never see another person. For those that never saw it before it became well known, trust me, it doesn't look the same - especially some of the "fragile" structures that are no longer standing on the east side and the incredible fins that are now destroyed due to human ignorance.
Unfortunately, I don't believe we've seen the end of it especially since some "other" photographer, whom I'll not name, published a series of books about many of the "unknown" locations all in the name of making a buck and putting himself on a self-glorification pedestal. Let's hope I never run into him in the field. Thank goodness he hasn't found some of the others I know about but I've heard he's been inquiring around.
Half of the fun was exploring and finding these little known areas before they became "discovered" by the general public. Publishing exact directions takes most of the excitement/mystery out of it.
i was there in early april and everything looked fine. i was there again in late april and the damage was done. i was really torn inside after seeing the damage. i was so upset i couldn't even photograph the ruin. i looked at some photographs from past years of the ruins. and judging by those photos, this is not the first time. in fact when i was there in early april the structure looked far better than photos that i had seen previous to that. i'm sure it will be rebuilt under the hush hush discretion of the park. i know it's not original, but it probably wasn't original when you saw it either.
Discussion
18 repliesBased on footprints, the wall was probably pulled down by someone entering the structure.
Cayonlands - Island in the Sky - Aztec Butte - Fremont Grainary
http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=677847&posted=1#post677847
I hope the park service can restore the structure. It was such a photogenic site !
I was fortunate to have visited it last summer with my family.
Unfortunately, it takes just one thoughtless idiot.
aztecbutte.jpg
Someone had to spend some time and effort getting there to do the deed. What I wouldn't give to catch a vandal in the act.....
Here is my own momento from that beautiful place.
The Texas Photo Forum required an account to view that link, so I couldn't see it.
Guy
Guy
Like structures in my native England "Stonehedge", all it takes is a few mindless people to ruin the enjoyment for the rest of us - the National Parks etc are forced to close off the areas to protect them.
"There is something to be said for keeping the locations of some of these antiquities away from the general public." This is precisely why I won't share any of the off-the-beaten path locations I find with anyone but VERY close friends who I trust completely.
Unfortunately, I don't believe we've seen the end of it especially since some "other" photographer, whom I'll not name, published a series of books about many of the "unknown" locations all in the name of making a buck and putting himself on a self-glorification pedestal. Let's hope I never run into him in the field. Thank goodness he hasn't found some of the others I know about but I've heard he's been inquiring around.
Half of the fun was exploring and finding these little known areas before they became "discovered" by the general public. Publishing exact directions takes most of the excitement/mystery out of it.
http://www.josephkaynephoto.com/20001011.htm
Thanks.
Joe.
Not to mention recent destructions at other places - hoodoos, teapot, etc.
This is very sad - soon all of these places will be outfitted with fences or overrun and managed like Coyote Buttes.