Peaceful Place

Posted by Interdisciplinary 6 - The Sierra Nevada

April 10, 2007

An essay by Michelle Morgan

I've never been a rugged outdoors type-of-girl, but I have always had a fascination with and a love for all things in nature. I used to go tent-camping with my dad on occasion, and I always loved the experience, but "roughing it" in a tent for a few days was not very appealing to me. So when my parents bought their first RV, and pop-up tent trailer, my mother and I were much more willing to go on a frequent basis. Our favorite place to go was Emigrant Trail. Mom and dad loved going there because they could find a place that was unpopulated, and had been left long untouched by humans. The trailer was so compact that it was easy for our small truck to pullover the rough dirt roads and through thick, overgrown brush.

We went out mainly in the warmer months, but I do remember seeing snow-dusted
boulders in the higher elevations in the springtime and fall. The drive was always an uncomfortable one, cramped in the so-called backseat of a Tacoma, but my mind was on the beautiful scenery rather than on the cramped quarters. The anticipation kept building as more and more trees and rocks and mountainous range rushed by. My favorite part of the drive was when we left the main road past Nyack and traversed the unpaved winding roads in search of the perfect spot. This was my opportunity to get an up-close view of much of the mountainside without fear of getting lost, hurt, or too dirty.

When we finally came to a clearing, my parents would set up camp while I explored the surrounding area. They set up the trailer, made a bathroom, and then we would all relax. The thin air always made me sleepy, so often I would lie on the bed in a sunny spot and listen to the forest. Those were my favorite naps. The noise never stopped, but it was soothing to hear the birds chirping, and the wind blowing through the trees created almost and ocean like sound. I could have slept for hours, but there was too much fun to be had.

My mother and I enjoyed taking short hikes, or finding a pretty spot to sit and talk. I always loved going out shooting with my dad. We would find a steep mound or hill and set up targets in the dirt for target practice. Mostly those trips were meant for rest and relaxation. We spent most of the day around camp, just reading, or playing, or talking with one another. No matter what we were doing, we were all just reconnecting with ourselves and with each other .