I have been watching public television lately. A series on National Parks by Ken Burns has been on. It is fascinating. The idea that these National Parks belong to all Americans is remarkable. It has got me thinking and when I do that I usually want to record my thoughts in some sort of order to help me understand how they came to be in the first place, my thoughts that is.
The first National Park I ever went to was Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee. The Smokies were the first mountains I ever saw. I was 17 years old. The Smokies were aptly named. They were forested with a blueish haze on them and adventure awaited as an end of high school backpack trip beckoned. That trip didn't go so well.
The next time I saw a National Park was from above as I flew into Jackson Hole just after my 30th birthday. As I strained to see the Teton Mountains out the plane window, suddenly the white clouds opened as we were circling to land and I saw these mountains for the first time. They were green and brown with splashes of white. They looked like an emerald city bunt cake. I was in awe. This visit to Grand Teton National Park was to be a celebration of my 30th year on earth. Ironically, it was to be another backpack trip, as I saw it, to mark time.
The next year, I visited Mount Rainier National Park and saw Tahoma, the mountain that walks, first hand. A few years later, I went hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, the park that I have spent the most time in by far since moving out west in 1999. Mountains seem to be the central theme here. A kid from Illinois either likes the flat or craves to go places with a little topography. I guess I am the latter.
Our National Parks have drawn me like a moth to a flame. I have seen Yellowstone National Park as a passenger on a motorcycle and I have looked down into the abyss that is Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. I am indebted to the visionaries responsible for preserving these natural areas. They have provided me the opportunity to experience these natural wonders in this country we call home.
Great Blog setup...Would like to be apart of the Colorado experience through your vivid words and pictures. You speak about the Great Smokey Mountains, and yes, they are magnificent. It gives Tennessee much publicity, and quite a bit of notority. Like to be apart of your blog and follow whenever you write. Much time and attention I gather, and of course, can't help but mention the Rockies and Rocktober coming here in the next week.
ReplyDeleteWarren