The Sierra Nevada Experience

An essay by Ben Jones

During the end of the summer in August of 1993 my parents decided we would move to American for better economic opportunities. Although I was young, I was old enough to understand that my parents wanted a better life for our family. Moving to this country was like moving to a completely different world. The culture, the economy, the people, and the places were all so new and exciting. It was like being introduced to another universe.

My first memory of the Sierra Nevada was my first trip to Yosemite National Park. I had never been on any trips inside California and I was young and knew nothing about national parks. During the beautiful drive up highway 50 into Nevada on the 395 and on to Yosemite I remember coming up to a spot full of trees and benches to sit and eat. We saw all sorts of wildlife and plants. I specifically remember seeing squirrels and birds soaring or should I say gliding through the air. As if these things were not beautiful enough, we took a short walk along the trail that was just a few yards away. While walking on this trail, the name of which I do not know, we got to see the beautiful rocks, and plant life. I do not remember the name of these plants but I know they were not native to the Sacramento Valley, at least in the lower elevations.

As we continued on the drive I was still awestruck by the beautiful scenery of the Sierra Nevada's. Growing up in England, we had many community parks, places to go, and country land everywhere, however, the Sierra Nevada's had much more to offer. Upon arrival to Yosemite National Park the unequivocal beauty of the mountains and stunning landscaping took my breath away. It was as if I was seeing a masterpiece created by a master artist. The long wait could not prepare my eyes for what it would see. As I got out of the car, I noticed in every direction were wildlife, grass, mountains, rivers, streams, cliffs, and hiking trails as far as the eye could see. I remember taking a long one hour hike up to the top of a small hill where you could view half dome. As a six year old kid, I just remember thinking "wow I have never seen anything like this before" I really like California, I hope everything is like this." However, all grown up now, I know this is not the case.

After a short lunch, we decided to have a long rest in the middle of the grassy fields. This is when nature really was observed. We saw birds communicating, listened to the sound of the tall trees whistling in the wind. We also saw many different creatures crawling about, whether it was on the ground or crawling on our arms.

The trip to Yosemite definitely has stayed in my mind. I still think about that trip all the time, so much so that I am planning on making a return trip this semester. This part of the Sierra Nevada's is not only the most popular in California, but it seems to have a place of peace, one that someone can escape from the craziness of our over growing world.