Leave No Trace
Glenn Taylor, Dylan Taylor, and Dave Hall — all Boy Scout scoutmasters — were hiking in Goblin Valley, Utah, when Glenn Taylor noticed a family walk by a boulder next to the trail. “I put my hand on a rock and it moved,” he claims. “While we were sitting right there we thought, ‘Man if this rock falls it’ll kill them.’ I didn’t have to push hard.” So, the group did what they claim is the right thing: with Hall capturing video and Dylan Taylor looking on, Glenn Taylor leveraged himself on a nearby rock and pushed over the formation that is estimated to be 20 million years old. They then posted the video online, where the men can be seen cheering and high-fiving each other. “Some little kid was about ready to walk down here and die and Glenn saved his life by getting the boulder out of the way,” the cameraman says on the video. “So it’s all about saving lives here at Goblin Valley.” Authorities don’t see it the same way. “It is not only wrong, but there will be consequences,” said Utah State Parks spokesman Eugene Swalberg. Criminal charges may be pending, and the Boy Scouts has announced it has removed them from leadership positions. (MS/Salt Lake Tribune) ...Which, appropriately enough, demonstrates leadership.Story Update: Glenn Tuck Taylor, who pushed the rock over, and David Benjamin Hall, who made the video, faced up to 5 years in prison. In a plea bargain, Taylor pleaded guilty to criminal mischief, and Hall to “attempted” criminal mischief, and were sentenced to pay restitution, and a year of probation. The restitution will pay for signs throughout Goblin Valley warning hikers not to damage the formations.
Original Publication Date: 27 October 2013
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 20.
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 20.
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