'Who are you,' he asked.
The chain link gate was open so we had walked through, climbed the steps, and entered the throne of the Flaming Gorge Dam. I took this picture and a few others from the other side when the 'high priest of security guards' approached us from the walkway.
I wasn't quick enough to say I'm the inspector from the Bureau of Reclamation. I'm here to check the dam for seepage, cracking and general erosion. So I just said, 'nobody.' 'Can we go on the walkway?'
'No one is allowed up here,' he said.
He looked us over and said, 'how did you get up here?' He was a bulky fellow and had stopped 20 feet in front of us.
My wife said, ' we walked through the gate.'
'The gate was open?' he said in disbelief.
'Yes.'
'Show me.' So we turned around and walked back with the high priest of the dam 3 steps behind.
By this time, the hair on my head my standing straight up. 'Can you tell me why no one is allowed?' I asked.
'911' he said. 'And COVID.'
We walked down a few sets of stairs, turned the corner and stared at the open gate.
'It's not supposed to be open, ' he said.
My wife and I passed back through, then he closed and locked it behind us. I felt like we just got kicked out of the Holy of Holies.