Hail Brave hearts
It’s still out there. The adventure awaits.
April brings us warm, sunny weather. A perfect day for a perfect outing. Into the great wild we go. The conditions are perfect for us today, snow pack, snow bridges, flat trail. The river crossings are easy and the destination is close by. A mere 5 kilometers of snow covered terrain.
This is an easy destination for the adventurer, in a time when exploration of the area was crucial. The need to know the area, so that the land is familiar and accessible. The need to know every inch of the surroundings, so that we can travel safely, intelligently and explore the land.
We’re on a seldom used and little known trail. Awesome! Lucky for us, that we are the explorers of this day. We travel easily. The terrain is flat and accessible, opening up to a world of stark beauty. A flock of pretty robins flutter in the forest and run along the snow. It’s a surprise to see them, especially in this location. Then we spy it, our destination, the glacier. The source of our water supply, the beginnings of the rivers. Since it is a warm day, we watch avalanches slide off the glacier into the moraine below. We are silent. Only us, in this great wilderness place, all to ourselves, on this fine day. Perhaps the crowds of tourists have come before us, but we know they haven’t. There’s still some wilderness left in the great wild.
A few days later, we hang up our snowshoes and go crocus hunting. It’s an unusually cold spring. Global warming? Climate change is a better phrase. Sometimes we see these early spring flowers at the end of March. This year, they’re still struggling to appear and it takes until mid April for these showy purple heads to blossom. Once they start, they’ll carpet the fields and hillsides in glorious purple. More wonders and beauty to behold, and so easy to find.
The protected wilderness areas are a significant contribution to our health and lifestyles. A daily walk in the park to spectacular views, precious wildlife, blooming wildflowers. The joy of the living planet, giving us air, supporting our lives, giving us recreation and wonder. It gives us peace and clears our minds to wander in the great wild. Always a fantastic scene to behold, sometimes by accident, sometimes by creation.
This great day is Earth Day. One day, for our awesome, awe inspiring planet? Only one day to take a look at the marvelous creation of this great planet Earth. This day is every day. A day for the joy of your senses. A day to breathe the fresh air and cleanse your soul in the beauty of the earth. This adventure is not just for today, but for all of your time here. Time to explore, time to live, time to enjoy the life on this Earth.
Lucky mortals, to be alive on this great planet. Intelligent mortals, to save God’s great, good earth.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
Earth Day, 2021