Yellowstone courses through the veins of the American Dream. I’m not talking about the TV series. I’m referring to the national park. America’s first national park.
Embarrassed by its failure to preserve the sanctity of Western New York’s natural wonder, our nation sought to avoid repeating the debacle of Niagara Falls’ commercial free-for-all. After exploring Yellowstone’s natural beauty, Dr. Ferdinand V. Hayden wrote this warning to Congress in his Geological Survey of 1871 (reprinted in Hayden’s 1880 book The Great West and in the September 1880 issue of The Naturalists’ Leisure Hour and Monthly Bulletin):
Continue Reading “Nature’s Spectacle of Fire, Water, and Yellow Stone”
Fear and Wonder of Mile-High Spacious Skies
Still, the Centennial State’s atmosphere, not the temperature, dominated our thoughts. It felt bigger. And wider. As if it had a life of its own. You could almost hear it breathe. Beneath these mile-high, spacious skies, you couldn’t help but believe God’s hand seemed closer.
You see this immediately. Once you’ve escaped Denver’s urban grasp, outcroppings of red rock emerge from the earth—as if even the stones themselves strained to reach heaven. Yesterday, we left the grand mountainous cathedral of the Tetons. Today, we would ascend a far different earthly temple to the roof of America. We’re going from geological reverence to spiritual heights.
This wouldn’t be merely a simple drive-by. We’d leave the Expedition’s wheels in various parking lots for the bulk of the day. Our feet would bring us up close and personal with the Colorado sky. And on this stroll, fear and wonder walked hand in hand. Which will win this epic battle?Continue Reading “Fear and Wonder of Mile-High Spacious Skies”