America the Beautiful

Upper Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, California

I had been in Aspen most of off-season and didn’t return to Telluride until the tail end of Memorial Day Weekend which also marked the closing of Mountain Film.  Fortunately I arrived in time to catch the last film in the six-part series of “The National Parks:  America’s Best Idea,” by renowned documentarian Ken Burns.  I was truly captivated.

I knew I’d see magnificent landscapes (which was part of the reason I wanted to see at least one segment on the big screen even though all will be aired on PBS this fall).  I didn’t imagine, however, that I’d feel so emotionally connected to this work.  Sure spectacular scenery and great vistas can be stirring, but it is largely the people that recount the many stories behind our national parks that moved me to tears.   Most of our more than fifty national parks were born out of the efforts of extremely perseverant individuals and small groups of people, hearty, committed souls determined to preserve some of the most extraordinary corners of our country.  Few of the parcels came easily and opposition arose from many factions including big business and government.

But as Ken Burns illustrates, our national parks (and national monuments and national forests) embody the spirit of our country.  These sites are also where some of our most significant family memories have been forged.  There’s a sense of nostalgia and familiarity evoked in both the old and new footage that makes up “The National Parks” and one can’t help considering many of the places featured like old friends even without having actually visited the location.

National parks are an American invention—it’s no wonder this concept of preserving a place has been exported to almost every country on earth.  After eight years of considerable neglect and with interest that will surely be spurred by this fascinating documentary, we can only hope that our national parks will experience a surge of renewed interest.  “We’re fast approaching the centennial in 2016, “ Ken Burns said at the Tellluride premiere of this great work.  “This is a grand opportunity to reach people that haven’t been reached before.”

Biscayne National Park, Florida

The above photos were taken by Quang-Tuan Luong, a passionate photographer that has photographed all fifty-eight of America’s national parks.  Quang was also present at Mountain Film with Ken.  Be sure to visit his site to appreciate the full breadth of his work—it’s like taking a quick tour through our national parks!  You can also purchase his prints online.  And guess what?  Quang grew up in France.  I’ve found that it sometimes takes foreigners—often the French, in fact—to fully appreciate what we have in our own backyard.