America's Greatest Invention...

Wilderness Areas, followed closely by National Parks.

Sure, Jazz, the Blues, Democracy and baseball are up there, but the notion of "Let It Be" land use is our Nation's best idea. (Besides the Internet, which I happened to have invented.) 

What a concept! A piece of land valued for what it doesn't have. No mining, no logging, no ranching, no motorized vehicles, and best of all, no subdivisions. 

For the past week, I visited four designated Wilderness Areas-Indian Peaks, Mount Zirkel, Sarvis Creek and felt compelled to visit the Cradle of Wilderness. I'm talking about the Flat Tops Wilderness (Colorado's second largest preserved area). 

All great ideas start with a visionary. The lovers of Wild Places (like myself) can thank U.S Forest Service landscape architect Arthur Carhart for his epiphany. His bosses sent him to remote Trappers Lake (in the year 1919) to come up with a game plan to build a few vacation cabins along its shore. When young Arthur saw the lake, and the volcanic amphitheater leaping from its shores, he filed this report to his supervisors.

"There are a number of places where scenic values are of such great worth that they are rightfully the property of all people. They should be preserved for all time for the people of the nation and the world." 

Thank you! Arthur! I couldn't have said it any better. 

Now I'm at a campsite scattered along the outflow of Trappers Lake. While I quietly quaff my IPAs, my neighbors seem to whisper in their conversations. Maybe they are showing reverence to the beauty that's around them. 

On today's 11 mile hike to Wall Lake the only sounds I heard was the wind whistling past the burnt snags from the 2002 Big Fish Fire. (I heard my heavy breathing too, but we won't go there.) 

Shortly after Mr. Carhart's proclamation, another visionary saw the light. Aldo Leopold fought for America's first Wilderness Area-the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico. He won that battle, but in reality, we all won.

Here's a plethora of photos from our Treasury of Just Trails. In the last photo, there's Paul, Robin and Jenny overlooking Gilpin Lake in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness. Contrary to popular belief, I don't go solo all the time. Oftentimes I go fishing for companions, but I usually come away with an empty creel. 

As Jeff Shakespeare once wrote, "Tis better to go-eth alone, than never to go-eth at all." 

Enjoy America's best invention. I do.

Cheers!

Jeff

 

Shirley McClain and me...

On yesterday's almost a Ghost Bike hike, I got a late start, the distance to my goal was greater than expected and I was feeling introspective. In other words, sort of a normal day. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/07/four-years-ago.html

As I girded up the trail to Crater Lake in Indian Peaks Wilderness, my mood changed to cheery. The weather was mild, sunny and wind-free. I'll borrow an overused cliche here. "It was a great to be alive" day. And that's exactly how I felt. 

Somehow four years ago, I dodged the bullet, didn't buy the farm, wasn't pushing up daisies and survived and recovered from my ordeal. I am very fortunate. 

Shirley M believes in reincarnation. I don't. I'm very pleased with this scarred, creaky body and IPA addled brain. I'll try to hold onto this form of me as long as I can. It has served me well. I'm like a Timex watch, "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking!"

Be safe out there.

Second chances don't come often.

Cheers!

Jeff

Four Years Ago...

today, I came so close to becoming a "Ghost Bike" ( ghostbikes.org ) on Highway 2 in Montana. 

You can read the traumatic details from last year's anniversary blog.

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2014/07/three-years-ago.html

This year I'll write about the quiet carnage taking place on America's highways and byways. 

In 2013, there were 743 bicycle fatalities in the U.S. In the same year there were 224 airline crash fatalities. When an aircraft loses its war on gravity, it's a media event.  It's big, it's dramatic and there's photos and video to draw in viewers. 

Not so with bicycle fatalities. Like a sniper going about his business over a large battlefield, the deaths are random and detached. Plink! Plink! Plink! For example: 141 victims in California, yet only one in Alaska spread out over a calendar year of time. 

Outside of a small circle of friends and family, the general population is unaffected by the sudden tragedy. Yet, the death toll continues to mount. Why is that? 

The sad truth (I believe) is the prevailing attitude amongst Americans. 

Here's the bumper sticker sized thought, "The cyclist had it coming. They were asking for it by riding on the road."

Trust me, NO cyclist ever asks to get struck by a speeding chunk of big medal. It hurts! 

Malcolm Stephenson's sedan rear-ended me at 50 MPH. A Montanan State Policeman issued him four felony charges. (Serious stuff). Mr. Stephenson spoke to a lawyer, copped a plea and paid the state of Montana $250 in court fees. That's it. There was  no restitution from the perpetrator to me. He never even apologized. 

When judges and juries start to levy real penalties and fines against the accused, maybe then the word will trickle down to all motorists. Hit a human on a bicycle = pay the price. Until then, the slaughter will continue.

BTW: I won't say bicyclists are angels who are always guilt free. Oftentimes, riders are their worst enemy. In 2013, 63% of the deceased failed to don a helmet. 21% were riding under the influence of alcohol. Bad bicyclists! 

So when you are driving, please pay attention to those folks on two wheels. When you are cycling, please stick a helmet on your noggin. 

I'm so happy there wasn't a ghost bike set out on MT Highway 2 because of me. 

Be safe out there,

Jeff