Rendezvous in the Rockies

First of all let me say, man time flies in graduate school! It has been non-stop studying and reading since August 20th. Well Tuesday offered the chance to both take a break (kind, not really... at least I got out of Fort Collins for the night) and go to Vail for the chance to interview some old-timers in the U.S. Forest Service. Overall, a great, fun, and interesting experience.

I had to opportunity to network with the Chief Historian for the Forest Service, who is one of the three Chiefs in the Forest Service. We also were paid a huge compliment by Patti Limerick, who is one of the foremost western historians in the U.S., who impressed by the work me and my fellow classmates was doing in Vail.

Things I learned from my interviewee's:

1. Vail was developed as a ski town and resort by the Forest Service (I got to interview one of the main dude's in implementing the recreational side of skiing in Colorado)

2. The Forest Service in Alaska is heavily involved with its community.

3. Ask a forester a question and they can talk for at least 30 minutes on one given question!

Below is a picture from my room, sorry for the weird glares, they are because of the case on my phone. Jon and I will have to take a trip there sometime soon that way everyone can see more of the beautiful outdoors!

"The Greatest Good"

In a little under three weeks, I will be going to Vail to conduct a series of oral histories of former Forest Service employees. It is truly a unique opportunity to hear some amazing stories from some of the people who ran a significant branch of the government.

To prepare for our interviews, my class was given copies of "The Greatest Good: A Forest Service Centennial Film," which chronicles the history of the Forest Service and a few of the controversies it's been embroiled in throughout its history. The film discusses the struggle of the Forest Service in balancing the demands of conservation and logging.

Overall, a good documentary that gives an insightful look at the history of the organization and its internal struggles to provide the greatest good to the greatest number of people. If you enjoy Ken Burn's style documentaries then you should add this to your list.

Notes From the Road

 

Hello everyone from Fort Collins, Colorado!

We left one week ago from Raleigh, NC and drove for three days till we reached our destination. Other than stops for food and to occasionally stop to adjust the luggage rack on top of my car or Lucy's litter box strapped to the trunk of Jon's Miata the drive went more smoothly than either of us could have hoped for.We left one week ago from Raleigh, NC and drove for three days till we reached our destination. Other than stops for food and to occasionally stop to adjust the luggage rack on top of my car or Lucy's litter box strapped to the trunk of Jon's Miata the drive went more smoothly than either of us could have hoped for.

I was amazed at the beauty of West Virginia, which was miles and miles of a windy mountain road. Now this is my personal opinion and I'm sure others will disagree with what I say next but I liked driving through these mountains better than the Blue Ridge Parkway. Whenever I've driven on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I have always been scared out of my wits that I am going to fling my vehicle off the side of the mountain. However, in WV it was more like a slow meandering while you got to take in the beautify of the mountains and trees working together.



We didn't get to see much of KY as we drove through the majority of the state in darkness. The second day took us through Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. I have to say this day was the most boring in terms of scenery. Through all three states it was mainly rocky hills that looked like chiseled pancakes stacked on top of each other topped with long grass. The major cities we drove through looked interesting and tempt me into wanting to visit, especially Louisville and St. Louis. Passing the Arch was really cool but also distracting as we went by it in 12 o'clock traffic. The traffic and choosing the right exits was stressful and nerve racking. We ended the second day in Lawrence, KS and stayed with a friend for the night.

From Kansas to Colorado was a lot of rolling prairie land, which was pretty but got old after five or six hours. Towards the end of KS we decided to start cutting north so we could avoid Denver's traffic. This detour took us up through Nebraska which was also stunningly and surprisingly beautiful. High, rolling roads that left you feeling like you were on a roller coaster. Sunflowers dotted the sides of the road. However, our trip through NB was short and soon we were in the prairie lands of Colorado. About two or three hours into the state we could see the line of the Rocky Mountains and we knew we were close.  Finally around seven or eight we rolled in to good old Fo'Co and got a hotel room for the night.

In what seems to be like odd coincidence, Jon and I once again had trouble when it came to renting our apartment. We found the next morning the previous tenant had not yet even begun to move out and were told to wait till noon that day to move in. All in all, we are in our new place and settling in fairly well.

More to come on Fo'Co' and our adventures soon!


xxxo.