Glen Canyon

Year Published: 1965

Creator: Dawson Larry Pennington

Format: 16mm

Color: Color

Sound: sound

Description: Dating to 1966, "Glen Canyon" was produced for the Sierra Club from a slide presentation by Phil Pennington. It shows what Glen Canyon looked like before the Glen Canyon Dam was completed in 1963 and the sights flooded under millions of tons of water. Shown here are the spectacular side canyons, ancient Anasazi ruins and other sights now hidden within the depths of Lake Powell. The film is narrated by Richard Moore and Rolf Russell, written by Phil Pennington and David Brower. It contains photographs by various people including Ansel Adams, Philip Hyde, Bruce Kilgore, Dan Luten, Terry Sumner, Cinde Thomas, Jim Turner, Sam Greene, Eliot Porter, David Gaskill, Gudrun Gaskill, Dick Norgard, and others. It was produced by Larry Dawson Productions San Francisco, California. 00:00 Quotes from John Muir and Henry David Thoreau highlight the interconnectedness of nature and the importance of preserving beautiful places.2:00 Phil Pennington, a graduate student who explored Glen Canyon.3:19 Location of Glen Canyon in Utah.3:37 A trip down Glen Canyon typically starts where a dirt road crosses the Colorado River.3:52 The upper part of Glen Canyon has broken walls, while downstream there are vivid red sandstone walls.4:26 Ancient Anasazi structures and camping on sandbars.4:52 Exploration of side canyons, like Forgotten Canyon, reveals petroglyphs and other archaeological features.5:20 Smith Fork Canyon.5:55 Indian ruins and the history of the Hopi people.6:17 A recently built cabin and the remains of a gold dredge.6:42 An alcove filled with cottonwoods is home to great blue herons.6:56 Lake Canyon and Wasp House.7:28 Abandoned mining equipment at Shock Bar.7:41 Wilson Canyon, Indian ruins.7:56 The Escalante River enters the Colorado River.8:03 The Escalante Canyon 8:25 Gregory Natural Bridge and the narrowness of Soda Gulch are featured.8:51 The unique environment of the alcoves .9:32 Davis Gulch, with its Indian ruins and pictographs, is mentioned.9:45 Clear Creek is wider than most side canyons, with lush foliage.10:12 The Cathedral in the Desert.11:35 The Colorado River and Hole in the Rock, where Mormons built a trail.11:51 Passing through Canyon Land.12:14 Hidden Passage and Music Temple are highlighted.12:41 Mystery Canyon and its eroded steps are shown.13:04 Oak Creek Canyon and Twilight Canyon are described.13:27 Aztec Canyon, Rainbow Bridge, and Forbidden Canyon are mentioned.13:47 Driftwood Canyon and its large stream alcoves.14:11 Cathedral Canyon and a sharp bend in the river.14:35 False Entrance Canyon and its deep, narrow features.15:18 Camping under an overhang during a storm and seeing snow 15:48 A Christmas Eve campsite and the beauty of a new snowfall 16:13 A summer trip, highlighting Indian ruins in Catfish Canyon.16:32 Dungeon Canyon and Dove Canyon 17:04 West Canyon Creek, Meskin Bar, Cane Creek, Gunsight Bar, and Labyrinth Canyon .17:26 Labyrinth Canyon's narrow passages.18:13 January 1963, as Lake Powell begins to rise behind Glen Canyon Dam.18:27 The film laments the drowning of Glen Canyon.18:36 The early inhabitants' view of the river is contrasted with its impending submersion.18:55 The submersion of the Christmas Eve alcove, the mouth of the San Juan River, and a Riverside alcove.19:22 The submersion of False Entrance Canyon and Labyrinth Canyon.20:10 Only the upstream canyons will remain.20:15 Dove Canyon and Catfish Canyon are shown before and after submersion.20:39 The film criticizes the National Park Service and the Bureau of Reclamation for their role in the canyon's destruction.21:32 The loss of stream alcoves, inner canyons, and animal habitats.22:26 The dangers of boating on the open water and the scarcity of campsites.22:47 The monotony of the water and the visibility of Navajo land buttes.23:00 Lake Powell will be beautiful but -- what has been lost? 23:18 Difficulties of exploring the remaining side canyons.23:46 The planned damming of other parts of the Colorado River, including the Grand Canyon.24:04 The purpose of Glen Canyon Dam is revealed: to generate electricity, not to conserve water.24:28 The loss of irreplaceable grandeur.24:41 The Bureau of Reclamation's plans for Marble Canyon and Bridge Canyon Dam are criticized. 25:36 The film urges viewers to act to prevent further destruction.25:49 Remembering what has been lost: the beauty and history of Glen Canyon.

Complete Record: Glen Canyon. Sierra Club. Made By Larry Dawson Productions. 20 Min., Sd., Color, 16 Mm. Appl. States Prev. Pub. 26sep65. Nm: Additions & Revisions. © Sierra Club; 4may66; Mp19663.

Online Copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7-yQmj_FEY

Metadata Source:YouTube