| | The heart of a country lies in its landscape. When I was a kid in
elementary school I learned about all of United States of America’s
vast range of geographic features: rolling hills and forests and
grasslands and prairie land of Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, the
Appalachian Mountains, the Great Lakes, all from ‘sea to shining sea’.
This famous phrase comes out of the song from Katharine Lee Bates’
'America the Beautiful' (1893), a patriotic song familiar to most
Americans, to which today I still know by heart the tune and lyrics:
O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties. Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee.
And crown thy good with brotherhood. From sea to shining sea!
But
for all the wonderful natural landscapes that I learned as a kid
growing up in America, I have never had the opportunity to see them
firsthand. Most of my life is spent in the urban metropolis of New York
City, and studying/working in San Francisco, Hong Kong, and the last
five years in Paris. Bubbled in concrete buildings, mazes of people,
mixed noises of cars, and mass transportation, I rarely know a time
that is quiet, or a view that is empty. So used to urban life, I
sometimes wondered if I could ever be anywhere else. Now as I get older
and am settled in one location, it occurred to me, as I’m a filmmaker
making films on both the man-made and the natural environment, perhaps
it’s not a bad idea to learn more about the latter. Thus this is how I
started my quest to discover the Great American Outdoors.
This weekend a group of us embarked on a day winter hike and it was ensured to me that it would be a one-of-a-kind experience. Mount Monadnock,
the chosen destination is most climbed mountain in North America, and
the second most climbed mountain in the world after Japan's Mt. Fuji.
Located at 3,100 feet in southwestern New Hampshire, the word
"monadnock" originally comes from the Abnacki Indian language meaning
"mountain that stands alone." As a filmmaker needs her camera, a Tour
de France cycler needs his bike, a chef needs his wok, a soccer player
needs his ball - - a winter hiker needs her gear. We made a quick stop
to REI, the #1 chosen
retailer for quality outdoor gear to get the essential items. Once I
entered the store I understood why it is haven for outdoor enthusiasts;
they have everything! Snow pants, long underwear, heavy jacket, neck
warmers, hats, boots, etc. Somehow felt compelled that this first hike
is going to be the beginning of a lifetime of outdoor adventures, I
signed up to become a lifetime member. The membership immediately gave
me great discounts on my rented crampons. My curious reader may ask:
What is a crampon? I would eagerly reply: It is a spiked iron/steel
framework that is attached to the bottom of a boot to prevent slipping
when walking or climbing on ice and snow.
Winter hiking on Mt.
Monadnock is truly unique. The amazing tree-free views stretch far into
the distance into surrounding New England states of Vermont and
Massachusetts, because the mountain "stands alone”. Because of the
winter weather and the snow, it discourages most people from coming.
During our hike, we saw very few people and really got to enjoy the
view of the natural landscape. Water running through the stream. The
vast sky. The fresh air. The white snow. Not a sound at all. I was in
total awe of where I was and felt utter joy. I now can understand how
the snow, the trees, just Nature, have inspired so many great
literature and poetry. I was also pleasantly surprised to find how
comfortable I am at hiking and climbing and strategizing how to move
through the snow in my crampons. I was at ease being in the middle of
nowhere – to get away from the civilization, that of cars, buildings,
people, Internet – even the cell phone had no reception. I had time to
think and ponder my place in this world. And at times, I would just
stand still, not do any thinking at all, and just enjoy the view. Just
those moments are so precious. Coming downhill, we decided to let go of
our crampons and just slide down in some parts. The thrill! The turn!
We laughed so much! For a few moments we group of adults felt just like
kids.
The winter hike on Mount Monadnock is a discovery into myself. I realized how comfortable and at peace I am with Nature. “REI
is helping build a lasting legacy of trails, rivers, and wild lands for
generations to come, supporting programs to help people of all ages and
experiences participate“. Environmentalists
would also applaud the need to preserve the beauty of Nature for the
next and future generations. I, as an environmental filmmaker also
agree. But I, as the new outdoor lover, want the natural environment to
be protected not just for the next generation – I want it protected for
our present generation too. Nature offers us so much beauty to discover
and to experience; it would be great tragedy for us to lose it in this
lifetime. |
| | Posted 3/25/2008 12:57 PM - 91 Views - 4 eProps - 2 comments
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