Although it is named Glacier National Park there are actually very few glaciers left compared to when to park was founded, and they are continuing to melt. In this chapter, which is my favorite, Terry Tempest Williams tells the story of her family’s 2003 visit to the park and why for her family “Glacier National Park is a landscape of fire, not ice.” It was during this trip that her family and other visitors became stranded in the Granite Park Chalet with a large fire moving in their direction. However, thanks to the leadership of Chris Burke, a Park Service employee, and a fire captain they were able to keep everyone safe and survive what must have been a very dangerous and stressful situation. It is because of the actions of Chris and the fire captain that this was my favorite chapter, I was amazed by their ability to remain calm and collected while also instructing everyone what needed to be done in order for everyone to be safe.
As the climate continues to change we are experiencing more and more forest fires and as Terry and her family learned during their visit, forest fires can move very fast and unpredictably. With temperatures continuing to increase it is increasingly important for people to be educated on fire safety and how to properly put out campfires.
The above is a reflection on:
Williams, T. T. (2016). Glacier National Park The hour of land: A personal topography of America’s national parks (pp. 331-347). New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Sarah Crichton Books.
ORPHE CAPSTONES GATHER NO MOSS 