(Natural) Beauty and the Beast

            I remember asking myself when I was very little about nature and the landscapes all around me: How far can I see without seeing the world being interrupted by human doing? Is there an area of this world where humans have not disturbed the earth? And, then, I remember answering that there was always something, even if it was very small, that humans had already established some sort of presence on the land.

            There are two main routes that I take on my bike rides and hikes. One direction that leads north that follows to a mountain that appears to have a white path flowing on it, and the other is right next to my house that is full of mountains.

            The first route that I usually bike on, first begins with me riding along Rio Wrangler and then the paved street finally turns into a dirt path (that was created by humans). No matter how far I go there is always a path; there’s no escaping it. A path had already been created for me. Even though I can see the beauty of nature around me, such as the awesome mustangs and the sections of wetlands, I cannot escape the shooting range that is on my right. I always hear the shots of guns going off in the distance. And if it isn’t the shooting, it is the remains of scrap material all around. Just the other day, I found that someone had just dropped off their sofa by a dune; it has been ruined by the elements, but it still ruins the fabric of nature. It’s disappointing to me, so much natural beauty destroyed by human ignorance.

            The second route is the one I hike on (one that I also used to hike on with my pup). I follow up my home street, loop around the roundabout and head up the mountain. But just like the first route, a path had already been created on the dirt mountain. I walk and I walk, loop by loop, but eventually I stop to take my own path. Each time it is something new. Now, I usually hike in the early mornings because it gets too hot during the day, and consequently this is also a perfect time for me to go follow the horse’s trail. They usually wind up to be above the large white “D” on the mountainside standing or occasionally lying down (well, at least, the babies do). It’s a breathtaking sight to see their serenity. Finally though, I pass them and head higher up on my own path. Unfortunately, even then, natural beauty is interrupted by the telephone poles that line up on the mountainside or by the large water tank. I also see some shell casings from people who illegally shoot in the area even when we have a shooting range a mile away. I also see crap lying around. Someone left the remains of their television on the side of the mountain a few months back; another person left what seems to be the frame of a car; someone else also decided that this place was a great garbage dump.

Natural beauty, even though it is quite hard to find, is spectacular and breath-taking, but it is being destroyed by people. Ignorance has caused people to think that land that is “un-inhabited” can be used as a wasteland, but this is completely untrue. We share land with mother nature, but many do not see this.