Platial | Who and What's Nearby
Platial | Who and What's Nearby
I'm looking for
near
0 People have been here:
Description:
Why am I so drawn to nature? Is it all the sights, sounds, smells, touches, and tastes it has to offer? As a park ranger last semester for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, I was able to experience nature having one on one contact. Sometimes on the closing night shift, I would have the delight of shutting down the famous Mount Baldy. Once I parked in the parking lot of the famous dune, I would attach my radio to my belt and then start my never-ending journey to the top of this 227-foot dune. At a slow pace I would make my way through a forest of trees, mostly oak and spruce, on a nicely made wooden plank walk that is being covered with sand slowly. (I would always be sure to stop and pick up any litter along the way.) I would then stop at the wayside sign and read and then re-read the basic information given to visitors. I would then slowly make my way up the once nicely made trail for visitors. At first I can slightly feel the wooden broads under my feet, but about two hundred steps into my hike, I feel sand starting to slowly trickle into my shoes. The sand is wrapping itself tightly around my foot, almost as thou it is trying to engulf me as quicksand would. I come to a large sand hill; that used to be 20 wooden steps. I stop for a moment and can see the slowly setting sun shining through the tops of the large trees surrounding the monstrous dune. I take a deep breath, because I know the rest of the way to the top wont be easy. All is quite, that is with the exception of birds calling. No visitors seem to be making trouble tonight, or asking annoying questions. Today is a day that I can be alone, a personal self-expression time with the dune. The more and higher I hike the deeper my shoes sink in the sand, and the sand fills my shoes. Finally, I am at the far left corner on the dune. Out of breath, I stop and take a deep breath in. My mouth fills with little salty water vapors from Lake Michigan. As I close my mouth and start breathing from my nose, I start the smell the pollutants from the near by steel mills. The sun is now almost completely set, but I can still see dark reds, pinks, blues, yellows, and purples in the sky above the water of Lake Michigan. I walk slowly across what seems to a vast desert of sand to the middle of the dune overlooking the deflation basin. I sit down for a minute and take off my socks and government issued hiking boots. I take the socks and boats and dump them over to let the sand pour out of them. I can now fell cold, slightly moistened particles adhering to my feet. All of a sudden I hear a loud honking noise, and my head turns in the direction of highway 12. I look at my watch and see that my time is long done here. I quickly put on my socks and shoes. I stand up and run the top of the dune to make sure there are no visitors left in this area of the park. I then take a giant step on to the slip slope of the dune and go tumbling down it. At the bottom, I think what a waste of time it was to empty my shoes and socks of sand, because they are now more filled then ever. The parking lot it is almost nothing but total darkness. I head to my car, and drive off. I stop shortly to lock the gates to the Lakeshore’s pride, Mount Baldy.
Why am I so drawn to nature? Is it all the sights, sounds, smells, touches, and tastes it has to offer? As a park ranger last semester for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, I was able to experience nature having one on one contact. Sometimes on the closing night shift, I would have the delight of shutting down the famous Mount Baldy. Once I parked in the parking lot of the famous dune, I would attach my radio to my belt and then start my never-ending journey to the top of this 227-foot dune. At a slow pace I would make my way through a forest of trees, mostly oak and spruce, on a nicely made wooden plank walk that is being covered with sand slowly. (I would always be sure to stop and pick up any litter along the way.) I would then stop at the wayside sign and read and then re-read the basic information given to visitors. I would then slowly make my way up the once nicely made trail for visitors. At first I can slightly feel the wooden broads under my feet, but about two hundred steps into my hike, I feel sand starting to slowly trickle into my shoes. The sand is wrapping itself tightly around my foot, almost as thou it is trying to engulf me as quicksand would. I come to a large sand hill; that used to be 20 wooden steps. I stop for a moment and can see the slowly setting sun shining through the tops of the large trees surrounding the monstrous dune. I take a deep breath, because I know the rest of the way to the top wont be easy. All is quite, that is with the exception of birds calling. No visitors seem to be making trouble tonight, or asking annoying questions. Today is a day that I can be alone, a personal self-expression time with the dune. The more and higher I hike the deeper my shoes sink in the sand, and the sand fills my shoes. Finally, I am at the far left corner on the dune. Out of breath, I stop and take a deep breath in. My mouth fills with little salty water vapors from Lake Michigan. As I close my mouth and start breathing from my nose, I start the smell the pollutants from the near by steel mills. The sun is now almost completely set, but I can still see dark reds, pinks, blues, yellows, and purples in the sky above the water of Lake Michigan. I walk slowly across what seems to a vast desert of sand to the middle of the dune overlooking the deflation basin. I sit down for a minute and take off my socks and government issued hiking boots. I take the socks and boats and dump them over to let the sand pour out of them. I can now fell cold, slightly moistened particles adhering to my feet. All of a sudden I hear a loud honking noise, and my head turns in the direction of highway 12. I look at my watch and see that my time is long done here. I quickly put on my socks and shoes. I stand up and run the top of the dune to make sure there are no visitors left in this area of the park. I then take a giant step on to the slip slope of the dune and go tumbling down it. At the bottom, I think what a waste of time it was to empty my shoes and socks of sand, because they are now more filled then ever. The parking lot it is almost nothing but total darkness. I head to my car, and drive off. I stop shortly to lock the gates to the Lakeshore’s pride, Mount Baldy.
Photos:
Tags:
Watch Related Videos
View Related MapsMeet Relatives
