April 10, 2007
An essay by Nellie Chenowith
I am writing about my first memory trip to the Sierra Nevada area. This trip occurred when I was nine years old (1967). We had recently relocated from Benson Arizona (southeast of Tucson) to Weimar, California. I was 'a kid from a desert terrain new to Sierra Foothill evergreens. At that time, my cousins, Betty Jo and Ruth Ann, were students at Colfax High School. The school band was scheduled to perform at a dedication ceremony being held at the Emigrant Pass overlook for a memorial celebration of the pioneers who made their way through Donner Pass.
School officials granted our request that I could accompany the students on the school band trip. We arrived at the Colfax campus early on a Saturday morning and made our trek up Interstate 80.
The ride on school bus made for a slow ascending drive up Interstate 80. This gentle roll up the hill was perfect because I was able to take in the majestic landscape. I was so taken with the trees and ferns. I was intrigued by their strength and shape. Tome it seemed that each tree had been artistically sculpted into distinct personalities as a result of the elevation as well as from the elements of the terrain, wind and sun.
These distinct shapes and varieties transitioned in shape and size as we ascended the mountain interstate. The varieties ranged from Black Oak, Foothill pine, Douglas fir, incense Cedar, White fir, Ponderosa Pine, Sugar Pine. To this day, I have a thing about trees. I enjoy looking at their shape, bark and especially to hear the wind blowing in their leaves.
Upon arriving at the destination, I explored the Emigrant Gap overlook site. For a kid from the desert, the view was literally "like nothing I had even seen before." It was like being at the top of the world. The cliff was so steep I could hardly get myself to look down. The canyon and mountain range spanned as far as I could see. The Emigrant overlook was an incredible and a breath taking sight. I imagined what the pioneers must have felt we stood in that very same spot. The sight was so massive, I felt ever so small like a tiny spec on a map. It's so amazing the pioneers tackled this brave and arduous terrain in wagons.
I'm embarrassed to admit, this was a difficult assignment to write because although I have resided in this area for the past forty years, I haven't taken many trips to the Sierra Nevada. I'm not a hiker or very outdoor oriented. Sadly, I've spent the majority of my years caught up in the rat race of the business world. I work too much. I am working to complete my AA degree and have not taken the time to "smell the roses," so to speak.
This class has sparked my curiosity and interest in the outdoors. I am looking forward to begin to experience the quietness and beauty of our area. During this course I have learned a variety of things; it's like going from black and white to Technicolor! Although I am a "newby," I am one with renewed interest to explore and experience our great Sierra Foothills.
Experience with Nature
It is a very great story that intrigues me. I really like the nature. From my childhood, I often thought of living somewhere away from the cities where wilderness and the mountains are nearby to enjoy. I think that the Yosemite National Park is just as interesting place to be at as the Sierra Mountains. In the early summer, I again plan to go to the Yosemite and enjoy the nature there. Last time I went up the hill and enjoyed the Vernal and Nevada Falls. I was close to a cliff also and it was pretty scary to look down. The place and itself was huge and I imagined how little a person is compared with the whole Yosemite Valley. This time though I plan to clime up on a half dome and enjoy the nature looking from above. I don't think that there's any air pollution on the top of Half Dome. I'll breathe fresh air over there. It is a pleasure for me to spend time in the wilderness and enjoy everything that is there.
Like Nellie says, our business world has trapped us with many things and we don't have time to enjoy the nature. Nellie had a wonderful memory writing about her experience with nature after so many years. There's not a lot of those fieldtrips to the clean nature in most of the people's lives but we tend to remember the ones that we had especially in our adolescent years. Visiting the nature such as Yosemite National Park or Sierra Mountains is always a great experience to see how the world was similar to the pre-human existence.
Yuriy O.
Student at CSUS
ENVS class
Sacramento, CA
05/16/07
It is a very great story
It is a very great story that intrigues me. I really like the nature. From my childhood, I often thought of living somewhere away from the cities where wilderness and the mountains are nearby to enjoy. I think that the Yosemite National Park is just as interesting place to be at as the Sierra Mountains. In the early summer, I again plan to go to the Yosemite and enjoy the nature there. Last time I went up the hill and enjoyed the Vernal and Nevada Falls. I was close to a cliff also and it was pretty scary to look down. The place and itself was huge and I imagined how little a person is compared with the whole Yosemite Valley. This time though I plan to clime up on a half dome and enjoy the nature looking from above. I don't think that there's any air pollution on the top of Half Dome. I'll breathe fresh air over there. It is a pleasure for me to spend time in the wilderness and enjoy everything that is there.
Like Nellie says, our business world has trapped us with many things and we don't have time to enjoy the nature. Nellie had a wonderful memory writing about her experience with nature after so many years. There's not a lot of those fieldtrips to the clean nature in most of the people's lives but we tend to remember the ones that we had especially in our adolescent years. Visiting the nature such as Yosemite National Park or Sierra Mountains is always a great experience to see how the world was similar to the pre-human existence.
Yuriy O.
Student at CSUS
ENVS class
Sacramento, CA
05/16/07
you have a great sense of
you have a great sense of writing and being creative. you explained every detail you could remember, i assume, which made it interesting for me as though i could imagine myself being there.
many classes teach you how to pursue your interests and take it to the next level. you go along and to things that you have never done, or barely done before, maybe just because you needed a little push. its great that you are open to new experiences in the outdoors and the environment surrounding us. we should all take some time from the business world and run away from our personal problems to the nature and appericiate the trees and the flowers, because with the way the air is getting polluted and global warming's time ticking, these may not be around for so long.
i encourage you to take some time apart from school and work and experience the nature as it may ease your mind and freshen your mind.
great essay
Yasaman Ke.
sac state, envs D. Mannahan
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