Growing
up on the right side of the lake in the Champlain Valley of Vermont I never
developed an appreciation for the Adirondacks that one might expect. As someone who has an appreciation for
the outdoors, enjoyed skiing in the winter, and hiking in the summertime it
surprises me that one of the country’s largest national parks never jumped out
as a place to explore. Although I
had often traveled through or around the Adirondacks they always failed to be
anything more than a good view to look at from across the Lake.
My
interest was sparked in my first companionless drive from my home in the
Northwest corner of Vermont down to the vast abyss that is central New
York. By entering Hamilton’s
address in to my GPS I am given three route options to take. I made the easy choice of choosing the
shortest route unknowing at the time of the wilderness I was about to
encounter. In a time when almost
everybody’s cell phone seems to be there life line I would be lying if I didn’t
notice my loss of cell reception for the extent of my 2-3 hour trip through the
park. Falling in to at least one
of Bill Mckibben’s stereotypes of Vermonters being “Saab-driving,
goat-cheese-eating Democrats” (18) I was worried that my old car would leave me
stranded in the high peaks area with no reception to call for a tow.
I’ve
since gotten past the uneasy feeling of not having the phone a friend option
and have grown to enjoy my trip of solitude through the park. Although my route takes me a different
way each time as I follow the little blue line on my GPS I find myself becoming
familiar with few of the landmarks I seem to always pass over. There are also times I need to look
down at my phone and make sure it’s still navigating as I find myself on a road
that I have never been on before.
Reading
Mckibben’s experience of hiking from Mt. Abraham across the Lake in to the
Adirondacks I can understand what he is saying when he mentions the difference
of visiting a place by foot and by car.
For me, until somewhat recently I have made the trek in haste, anxious
to get to school and get out of the car.
By doing this I was unable to truly visit with the park and enjoy what
it has to offer. Going
forward I plan to build time in to my trips and take further detours in to the
wilderness. Because a hike from
home to Hamilton is out of the question, a leisurely drive will have to due for
now.
Since
arriving in New York I have been able to gain a new perspective on the Adirondacks. The mountains have become more than the
cool back drop that we watch the sun fall behind from the shores of
Vermont. I look forward to
learning more about the culture and the history of this region which will make
my trips between school and home that much more meaningful. It is surprising to me that so many
people take the national treasure that is the Adirondack Park for granted
although I myself was guilty of just that.
 |
| View of the Adirondacks from Burlington, VT |
Works Cited:
McKibben, Bill. Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across America’s Most Hopeful Landscape. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2005. Print.
McKibben, Bill. Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across America’s Most Hopeful Landscape. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2005. Print.
This same phenomenon happened to me back in my home town. For a majority of my life, I never even went to local parks. It wasn't until I began running cross country that I ever really explored the parks near me (and once I had explored them, I wondered why it took me so long!). We become so acclimated to our surroundings sometimes that we forget the beauty in our own backyards. Thanks for your post reminding us of this!
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