The Payoff for Perseverance

Two Cups of Tea at Hope’s Cafe

When we had already travelled for two weeks through the beautiful landscapes of Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse State Park and believed we were only headed to our final evening farewell meal at the hotel, our tour guide declared “I have one last surprise for you!”  And what a surprise it was! We were treated to Colorado National Monument.

The story of the monument is one of incredible perseverance by one John Otto in the early 20th century.  When he came to Colorado in his mid-thirties in 1906, Otto was immediately drawn to this spectacular area.  The next year he would write, “I came here last year and found these canyons, and they feel like the heart of the world to me.  I’m going to stay and build trails and promote this place, because it should be a national park.” Indeed he did.

Otto would put up his tent, build a section of road, move his tent up to build the next section.  This is no small task.  This is an area of desert land high on the Colorado Plateau with sheer-walled canyons cut deep into sandstone and granite-gneiss-schist rock formations.  The high country rises over 2,000 feet above the Grand Valley of the Colorado River.  The scenic Rim Rock Drive now stretches 23 miles through the National Monument.

By nature a recluse, he was willing to speak to reporters and photographers and public officials to encourage support for his dream. Otto conducted tours of the area and began to garner support.  He invited President Taft to come see the area which eventually resulted in a visit from the President.  When Taft did not immediately act on declaring the area a national monument, Otto continued to press him.  On May 24, 1911, the area was at last designated Colorado National Monument and he was hired as the Monument’s first custodian, a position he held for 16 years.   His salary was the “princely” sum of $1 per month. Shortly after the designation was declared, Otto married an accomplished artist from Grand Junction.  The marriage was short-lived as his wife discovered she was not as well-suited to his lifestyle as she had first thought. 

Otto was once described as “a marvelous guide who knew every inch of his monument, which he tended like a personal kingdom.”  According to Wikipedia, among his accomplishments was carving a steep stairway up to the near-vertical ascent of Independence Monument, the largest such feature in the park.  Despite its size, Otto was known to climb to its summit to plant an American flag.

The man’s dogged determination, driven by his love of the terrain and his deep commitment to see that the park be recognized and protected for future generations, is impressive and commendable.  The area, designated as a monument, which does not require congressional approval as a national park does, has averaged 300,000 visitors a year. This year it is expected to welcome 500,000. I am pleased to have been one of them, an unexpected gift.

“Let perseverance be your engine, and hope your fuel,” urged H. Jackson Brown Jr. A worthy directive to consider as we navigate our lives.

The invitation is open to share “two cups of tea” anytime at Hope’s Café, or anywhere you share companionship and conversation.