Chapter 9, Davis Gulch Summary and Analysis

A letter from Everett Ruess to his brother, Waldo, precedes Chapter 9. In the letter, Reuss declares Waldo's life to be too boring for Reuss's taste. Reuss admits he occasionally misses the company of his fellows, but indicates that most of humanity is too unintelligent to converse with anyway. Reuss describes his love for the wilderness and his intention to stay away from city life. A subsequent quotation from Mormon Country magazine compares Reuss with the celebrated author, John Muir.

Davis Gulch in southern Utah houses a watery oasis in its midst. Wilderness travelers from the early Kayenta Anasazi Indians to turn-of-the-century American cattlemen have used this water source. Ancient rock art, pottery, and rusty tin cans mark their former presence here. A little known passage carved into the rock by Mormon cattlemen leads from the creek up...