Encounters With the Archdruid: Narratives About a Conservationist and Three of His Natural Enemies

McPhee, Park, Brower, and the two medical students continue to explore the region, taking a path towards a copper deposit near Plummer Mountain. The group leaves the main trail, attempting to navigate difficult terrain full of thick vegetation, ledges, ravines, and cliffs. Park leads, despite his new boots hurting his feet. McPhee is experiencing pain due to a bone spur in his foot, while Brower frequently questions their route.

Eventually, they reach a broad alpine meadow named “the Golf Course” (36) by the developers of Kennecott Copper Corporation, which has been exploring the development of a golf course in the area. Park admires the area’s potential for mining, seeing the mountain’s rusty-looking rocks as indicative of copper deposits. Brower, however, opposes mining, arguing it would create a massive crater and destroy the wilderness. He references his time with the Sierra Club, which campaigned against such projects with provocative ads, including one claiming Kennecott’s mine would be visible from the moon.

They discuss the implications of mining, with Park arguing for its economic benefits and minimal environmental impact, citing successful reclamation projects in New South Wales. Brower counters, emphasizing the irreversible damage to the pristine wilderness and advocating for long-term conservation.