Yucca Mountain

Today we would be reaching the highlight of our section: Max Patch, a huge bald mountain with spectacular views. We faced another three-and-a-half mile climb. The final ascent involved a set of painfully steep stairs about three feet wide, with steep drops on either side. The views when we reached the summit made all of the pain and difficulty of getting there worthwhile. The mountain was covered in wildflowers, and I could see for miles in every direction. The wind muffled sound…

ingest the popular sites, it’s time to seek a lesser known gem. Imagine going on a hike through some of the most beautiful vegetation and geology in all of Europe. Think of walking through a perfectly preserved little village among the hills of a mountain range that is akin to the amazing Swiss Alps. Inside of the little town, the dwellings are just as they were 400 years ago. Equally important, the villagers are wearing the clothing style of their ancestors. Above, on an emerald green slope, a…

the importance to the protected areas, which will focus on protecting gorilla habitats. Furthermore, Nielsen and Spenceley (2011) point out the success of tourism and benefits derived from tourism in Rwanda in their article. The authors claim that mountain gorilla tourism has been seen as a valuable tool to conserve animals. This is because tourists will pay large sums of money visiting these animals, which will provide funds with authorities to do conservation in Virunga National Park.…

Sami Lenox Dr. Dryer Biology 157 Greater Prairie Chickens Illinois use to be one of the largest states for Prairie Chickens. Prairie chickens didn’t only dominate the Illinois state but reached out into the entire Midwest, States in this premotor included Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming. Midwest flourished in these creatures. Illinois use to be top contender, with nearly 20 million acres of birds. Boomers (also known as prairies chickens) are a slight larger…

The White Mountains are a completely different animal than the Appalachian Mountains. Even so, as I hiked up Craggy Gardens off of the Blue Ridge Parkway just outside of Asheville, North Carolina a couple of days ago, I was forced to remember the first stretch of the Presidential Traverse in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The climb was gradual at first, but steady, with a low hanging forest and a stream running not far off the trail. Not 10 minutes in I was having thoughts akin to, “Oh my…

giant, 50 liter bags, and hit the trail for a few days. This past year, in early fall, I convinced my parents to don their sturdy boots and disappear into the wilds of bear state park with me for three days. We were dropped off at the top of Bear Mountain and, while my parents argued over directions, I wandered around the windswept ridge. The grasses that grew out of rocky fissures and in expanses along the tourist paths were dried from the September heat and waved golden-brown in the slight…

Brokeback Mountain has both the aspects of a western film and a drama. In the western genre of film the men are normally fighting their way through the wilderness since it is their job and the way that they support themselves and their families. Another aspect of the western is the codes of honour. The men/cowboys are supposed to live their lives in a way that they follow all of the rules that society expects of them. The men are meant to follow all of the social norms, they are the providers…

This great American accomplishment could not have been accomplished without the Chinese-Americans. The Central Pacific realized the enormous task ahead of them in the construction of the railroad. They had to cross the Sierra Mountains which was a huge and dangerous task. The only solution to the frightening task was a great deal of manpower, which quickly turned out to be in short supply; probably because of the danger and sacrifices that were going to be made. The Central Pacific…

American life and society have created through time. The first settlers on this territory were those that had trouble with finances and other situations and were forced or “pushed” to leave their homes. Around the mid 1700’s through the early 1800’s these individuals were determined to make a new way and ventured out to the frontier. In a few routes, life on the Tennessee outskirts or frontier was altogether different than the way we live today but some components were amazingly comparable. Life…

Rip Van Winkle as a Romantic Hero Rip Van Winkle is a short story written by Washington Irving which follows a lazy farmer named Rip, who enjoys helping everyone besides himself and his wife. Rip wanders off into the mountains one day and falls asleep, only to awaken after twenty years have passed. The author endows Rip with various characteristics that portray him as a Romantic Hero. Some of these qualities include being child-like and innocent, disliking women, and going on a journey in…