Ever Seen a Glacier?

Posted by Dutchman Friday, March 30, 2012 0 comments

In the late winter and spring of 1975, I was trying to decide where to go for a vacation that summer. I liked canoeing and camping, and thought about a trip to Florida's Everglades National Park. I was also interested in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, as I had never seen mountains, having grown up in northern Illinois. About the highest elevation you ever got to in Illinois, was when you helped replace shingles on your parents roof. I can't now remember why I opted for Colorado. Once I experienced the western mountains, thoughts of travelling anywhere east lost all attraction. The contrasts from where I grew up were huge. There was sage and pine instead of corn and elms. The streams were crystal clear instead of the color of coffee with extra cream. The air was dry, not humid, and comfortable 70s during the day. Nights were crisp. There was snow on the peaks even in July and August. Hikes taken at high elevation, often crossed snow fields. When backpacking, you could catch a trout at noon, bury it in snow, and cook it for dinner.
In 1977, I veered more northward, into Wyoming. The mountains aren't as tall as in Colorado, but there were a lot less people and development. In 1979, I went backpacking in the Beartooth Mountains along the Wyoming/Montana border, and then on up to Glacier National Park at the Canadian border. The elevations there are not as high, but because you are further north, the tree line is lower, and there were glaciers all around. There were even less people and development there. In those years, you would be hard put to find a fast food place anywhere around Glacier. People said "if you want to see what Colorado was like 20 years ago, go to Wyoming. And if you want to see what Wyoming was like 20 years before that, go to Montana."
Now it is different. If you were never in Glacier National Park in the 70s, you can't see it now, at least not quite in the same way. The glaciers are disappearing. The sad thing is, I am responsible. I drove my CO2 belching 1977 Buick Special across the country to see the glaciers. We are all responsible.
In the animation below, watch what happens to the glaciers between 1980 and 2010. Then, watch them disappear between 2020 and 2030.
It makes me wonder what other things my sons won't see. And what things they will see, that they'll wish they never saw.





http://wilderness.org/content/sad-day-when-no-glaciers-exist-glacier-national-park

One Week of Leisure

Posted by Dutchman Monday, March 5, 2012 0 comments

There is a one week lull between the end of Tyler's basketball season, and the start of the baseball season. This is the week, March 5 - 9.  Last week there were 2 basketball games, 2 band concerts, a counselor meeting, and a baseball practice.  This week...nothing.  Next week baseball tryouts start.  So, for the next 5 days, I am not a taxi driver and spectator.  Yippee!  One week of calm, and then the big push until summer will start.

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I'm a middle aged divorced father living with my two sons. We like to canoe, bicycle, fish, camp, play baseball, and spend money when we want and where we want, without permission from anybody. HA!

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