Contributions
Hike Through a Rolling Sea of Grass at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Kansas
Created on August 20, 2009 by Erik Shonstrom, WriterHiking up into the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, located outside of Strong City, Kansas, I thought of the generations of westward settlers from the east coast who must have found the lack of shade terrifying. The sun is hotter on the plains because there’s not even the slightest chance of respite: No rock overhangs or trees, and no slice of shade to be found. The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve was officially established on November 12, 1996. As far as parks go, this one is a baby. But what it lacks in history, it makes up for in its unique character. At one time, tallgrass prairie ecosystems covered almost half a million square miles of the North American continent. Only four percent of that original territory now remains, ...
Highs and Lows in Death Valley National Park
Created on June 25, 2009 by Erik Shonstrom, WriterThe road to Death Valley National Park from Los Angeles winds along the Owens River—a dry, hot region bordered by the Mojave Desert and the High Sierra. Death Valley has been the stage for gold prospecting, cowboy movie backdrops (John Wayne was a frequent visitor to the town of Lone Pine to film Westerns), and fierce battles over the ownership of water that flows through the Owens. Driving through the desiccated air on the way to Death Valley, I could taste dust on my tongue—the sweet tang of desert yucca, pinon and sage. Death Valley in California holds two extremes: Badwater, the lowest elevation of continental United States at 282 feet below sea level; and Telescope Peak, an 11,331-foot peak just a dozen miles from ...
Wasatch Mountain Range in Utah
Created on June 25, 2009 by Erik Shonstrom, WriterUtah is a country that beckons. The Wasatch Range is Utah’s geological spine, stretching from north to south down the centre of the state. Salt Lake City, Provo, Park City, and Ogden all owe their existence to the bounty of the Wasatch Range; whether in the form of water, resources or resort skiing. To the south lie the famous Zion, Escalante, and Canyonlands Parks; often depicted in the work of American photographer and environmentalist Ansel Adams. The trail up to Dog Lake practically demands to be walked. The little path hugs a small stream that cuts through the dense growth of quaking aspen in the V-shaped valley. Cool mountain air makes the climb seem less strenuous, and only a few minutes up the trail a ...
Kayak Orcas Island for a Killer Experience
Created on June 02, 2009 by Erik Shonstrom, WriterThe San Juan Islands are a geological anomaly comprised of chunks of micro-continents, terranes that floated around the eastern Pacific 200 million years ago. As the Mid-Atlantic ridge enlarged, it pushed what is now the continent of North America westwards, where eventually there was a collision between these small terranes and the large Atlantic oceanic plate. The collision created the mighty Cascade Range, where volcanoes still smolder. As a result the San Juan Islands, which dot Puget Sound, are comprised of a weird and chaotic mix of limestone, mudstone chert, and scraps of oceanic crust. This geologic underpinning defines the characteristics of the islands; quirky, different, unique, and completely unlike the mainland. If the few inhabitants of the islands I got to know are at ...
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