It all sounds lovely. Until you listen to the folks who live in areas near Mt. Lassen - the farmers and ranchers. They tend to be right-leaning, conservatives who have had farms and ranches for generations. They feel they are owed water by the government. Climate change is a Chinese hoax. Wildfires, especially in California, are the fault of environmentalists. This pandemic is about the government depriving citizens of rights and freedoms. A lot are already convinced the recall election in California is rigged. They have children and grandchildren who are growing up believing all this as well. They don't see that water is not an endless resource. They don't see the signs of climate change. Yes, mistakes were made for years in forest management and there should be more prescribed burns and thinning, but that's not the whole picture. California is in the midst of 10+ years of drought. My family spent every summer not far from Mt. Lassen and the forests where I used to play and dream, where I can still smell the dirt and pitch, where I drank fresh ice cold spring water, are decimated. Maybe a third of the trees are still there. The spring has dried up. Nature survives and will thrive where we least expect it, but in our squables with eachother over politics, we're failing to see the damage we're doing.
I've never visited Mount Lassen Park, but, your description makes me wish that I had when I had the opportunity, and physical ability to do so. It is an absolute shame that these wildfires devastate so much of our pristine forest land year after year. I remember when I was a young man, we used to hear of forest fires every once in a while, but now, it's every year. More and more fires, more devastating than the years before.
Can we say Climate Change is causing these fires, or is it carelessness of human, or is it Arson perpetrated by human? Or, a combination of all the above? Regardless of what is causing them, we need to figure out a way to put a stop to them.
Forest serve many purposes on this earth, and, if we continue to allow them to be destroyed year after year, soon their will be no forest for the purpose they were really intended. They weren't created to visit, camp, hike, take pictures, and most of all enjoy. Not at all. Forest, the trees, underbrush, and the like were created to produce clean air for us to breath. Provide a place for our wild animals to live, and survive.
Just think, if we can actually figure out how to prevent these forest fires from devastating our forest every year, the billions and trillions of dollars we could actually save to put to use elsewhere where it would do more good. Like, educating our children, planting more forest, creating more jobs, building the infrastructure, so more of us could safely go visit some of these beautiful sites., and we mustn't forget feeding our homeless, and clothing our needy children. There's a million places we could use this money besides fighting these forest fires year after year. Oh, one more thing. Our insurance premiums would probably go down a little but too, because then the insurance companies wouldn't be paying out a fortune for all of these lost homes, structurers, towns, etc.
It has been said "The Lord govern and the Lord take th away". Sometimes I think the Lord is sending a message to the world " Straighten up your act or you will lose my Grace"
Excellent essay that reflects my own experience growing up in California, and sadly starting to accept the "new normal" of smoke and wildfires in the Sierras where I've been camping and hiking the past 25+ years. Lassen and Bumpass Hell are among some of my most memorable outdoor experiences. Tahoe, Kirkwood and the recent Caldor fire have been on my mind lately because I haven't been there in 2 summers, since the pandemic began.
Thank you so much for the beautifully written memories and commentary on Lassen. My father, Richard Newgren, is a retired National Park Service Ranger and we were the final occupants of the old stone house that was connected to the Manzanita Lake Ranger Station, as he was the Chief Ranger. We had to move from the house to an area outside the possible lava zone because the volcano was deemed to be active after many years of assuming that it was not a threat. My brother and I spent countless hours hiking, climbing trees and riding our bikes for miles and I can still smell the fresh pungent aroma of the forest and hear the creek behind the house. Fire is indeed nature’s way of starting over, as heartbreaking as it is to see. Unfortunately, over the years the fires have become so much larger and faster and hungrier, due to the extreme weather and atmospheric conditions caused by climate change and global warming. Hopefully your essay and others like it will encourage people to visit beautiful places like Lassen and to meaningfully alter our activities to drastically lessen the human impact on our amazing planet. We can do it. I have hope.
I spent nearly ten years in California and the way you describe your memories is similar to my experience. I was there from 1979-1988. The folks I knew would complain about rain, because in the 80's drought wasn't a thing in San Diego.
It was bittersweet reading about how all this has come to pass in the 33 yrs since I left.
Inspiring insight and commentary as always, Elliot. Having grown up in Northern California myself (the Bay Area) and now living in the Pacific Northwest, the images of forests burning is becoming the sad norm. My daughters, 27 and 30, see how their future will be so different and challenged, to the point where one is talking about having only one child, or maybe none at all. I gently reminded her of the fact that each generation will do its part to make things better, that she must teach her children to make that difference.
Recently we visited Mount Saint Helens and marveled at how, 41 years later, nature adapts and regenerates. I can only hope the earth will do just that for future generations, no matter what damage we humans may do to it.
Loved reading about your family memories and feel for your mom and the sadness she is trying to embrace. You are looking at this in a very positive way and I commend you for that. Nothing stays the same and we need to get our arms around the changing world and find innovative ways to deal with the challenging climatic disruptions. Thank you sharing your essay. Well written.
Its truly amazing wild fires burning in the west major hurricanes , flash floods in the east one party keeps putting their heads in the sand and keep saying climate change is not happening. The rest of the country knows better and has to stick together to help fight climate change and save our only planet
It all sounds lovely. Until you listen to the folks who live in areas near Mt. Lassen - the farmers and ranchers. They tend to be right-leaning, conservatives who have had farms and ranches for generations. They feel they are owed water by the government. Climate change is a Chinese hoax. Wildfires, especially in California, are the fault of environmentalists. This pandemic is about the government depriving citizens of rights and freedoms. A lot are already convinced the recall election in California is rigged. They have children and grandchildren who are growing up believing all this as well. They don't see that water is not an endless resource. They don't see the signs of climate change. Yes, mistakes were made for years in forest management and there should be more prescribed burns and thinning, but that's not the whole picture. California is in the midst of 10+ years of drought. My family spent every summer not far from Mt. Lassen and the forests where I used to play and dream, where I can still smell the dirt and pitch, where I drank fresh ice cold spring water, are decimated. Maybe a third of the trees are still there. The spring has dried up. Nature survives and will thrive where we least expect it, but in our squables with eachother over politics, we're failing to see the damage we're doing.
This essay , so beautifully written, is so spot on. Our children and grandchildren understand so much more about the responsible actions we must take.
Thank you for sharing this nostalgic educational, and hopeful piece with us!
Thank you for the kind words.
“ park officials emphasize that the entire region was once covered in volcanic ash and rock, and that the resilient park will eventually recover.”
Only if it rains.
Wonderful piece. I wish the optimism was contagious. I could use some.
I've never visited Mount Lassen Park, but, your description makes me wish that I had when I had the opportunity, and physical ability to do so. It is an absolute shame that these wildfires devastate so much of our pristine forest land year after year. I remember when I was a young man, we used to hear of forest fires every once in a while, but now, it's every year. More and more fires, more devastating than the years before.
Can we say Climate Change is causing these fires, or is it carelessness of human, or is it Arson perpetrated by human? Or, a combination of all the above? Regardless of what is causing them, we need to figure out a way to put a stop to them.
Forest serve many purposes on this earth, and, if we continue to allow them to be destroyed year after year, soon their will be no forest for the purpose they were really intended. They weren't created to visit, camp, hike, take pictures, and most of all enjoy. Not at all. Forest, the trees, underbrush, and the like were created to produce clean air for us to breath. Provide a place for our wild animals to live, and survive.
Just think, if we can actually figure out how to prevent these forest fires from devastating our forest every year, the billions and trillions of dollars we could actually save to put to use elsewhere where it would do more good. Like, educating our children, planting more forest, creating more jobs, building the infrastructure, so more of us could safely go visit some of these beautiful sites., and we mustn't forget feeding our homeless, and clothing our needy children. There's a million places we could use this money besides fighting these forest fires year after year. Oh, one more thing. Our insurance premiums would probably go down a little but too, because then the insurance companies wouldn't be paying out a fortune for all of these lost homes, structurers, towns, etc.
Something to seriously think about!!!
It has been said "The Lord govern and the Lord take th away". Sometimes I think the Lord is sending a message to the world " Straighten up your act or you will lose my Grace"
Excellent essay that reflects my own experience growing up in California, and sadly starting to accept the "new normal" of smoke and wildfires in the Sierras where I've been camping and hiking the past 25+ years. Lassen and Bumpass Hell are among some of my most memorable outdoor experiences. Tahoe, Kirkwood and the recent Caldor fire have been on my mind lately because I haven't been there in 2 summers, since the pandemic began.
Thank you for writing.
Beautiful writing. You give me hope for the future.
Thank you so much for the beautifully written memories and commentary on Lassen. My father, Richard Newgren, is a retired National Park Service Ranger and we were the final occupants of the old stone house that was connected to the Manzanita Lake Ranger Station, as he was the Chief Ranger. We had to move from the house to an area outside the possible lava zone because the volcano was deemed to be active after many years of assuming that it was not a threat. My brother and I spent countless hours hiking, climbing trees and riding our bikes for miles and I can still smell the fresh pungent aroma of the forest and hear the creek behind the house. Fire is indeed nature’s way of starting over, as heartbreaking as it is to see. Unfortunately, over the years the fires have become so much larger and faster and hungrier, due to the extreme weather and atmospheric conditions caused by climate change and global warming. Hopefully your essay and others like it will encourage people to visit beautiful places like Lassen and to meaningfully alter our activities to drastically lessen the human impact on our amazing planet. We can do it. I have hope.
Thank you Jennifer for sharing your story. I have hope too.
I spent nearly ten years in California and the way you describe your memories is similar to my experience. I was there from 1979-1988. The folks I knew would complain about rain, because in the 80's drought wasn't a thing in San Diego.
It was bittersweet reading about how all this has come to pass in the 33 yrs since I left.
Thanks
Inspiring insight and commentary as always, Elliot. Having grown up in Northern California myself (the Bay Area) and now living in the Pacific Northwest, the images of forests burning is becoming the sad norm. My daughters, 27 and 30, see how their future will be so different and challenged, to the point where one is talking about having only one child, or maybe none at all. I gently reminded her of the fact that each generation will do its part to make things better, that she must teach her children to make that difference.
Recently we visited Mount Saint Helens and marveled at how, 41 years later, nature adapts and regenerates. I can only hope the earth will do just that for future generations, no matter what damage we humans may do to it.
Thank you Liz. The adaptability of nature is truly impressive.
Thank you for this article.
Loved reading about your family memories and feel for your mom and the sadness she is trying to embrace. You are looking at this in a very positive way and I commend you for that. Nothing stays the same and we need to get our arms around the changing world and find innovative ways to deal with the challenging climatic disruptions. Thank you sharing your essay. Well written.
Excellent piece. I relate to it all
Its truly amazing wild fires burning in the west major hurricanes , flash floods in the east one party keeps putting their heads in the sand and keep saying climate change is not happening. The rest of the country knows better and has to stick together to help fight climate change and save our only planet
Sadly, there are still people claiming that climate change and the drought/high-temps it's brought, have nothing to do with the increasing wildfires in the West. People like meteorologist Cliff Mass, who should know better. https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/08/climate-hype-hurts-environment-and.html#comment-form