Guarding Dinosaur

John and Jean Polhamus routinely scanned the far-flung canyons and mountains in Dinosaur National Monument for any sign of fire, calculated and recorded daily fire danger, and marveled at the grandeur of the spectacular country they were watching over. They hauled water to their cabin from a distant well, gathered dry sagebrush for the stove, and survived powerful windstorms on barren, rocky Round Top. In 1953, long before satellite communication brought instant connection with the world, this was a summer far from telephones, television and next-door neighbors, three months of high country adventure for a young couple looking for - and finding - something different before settling down to raise a family. The summer spent guarding Dinosaur left them with lasting memories of the pristine natural beauty and majesty of Dinosaur National Monument, a place held in trust for all of us for all time.