Take Only Memories, Leave Only Footprints

Take Only Memories, Leave Only Footprints Carolin Khanlari.LA5581.Visual Communication for Design.

Fall 2019. Cal Poly Pomona

As we know, camping and traveling is one of the best way to learn about any environment, history, and culture. Thus, this fall, my classmates and I went for a one week camping trip from Fossil Falls to Yosemite and ended up in Sacramento. This one week trip was full of useful and unforgettable experience, gave me lots of knowledge about landscapes, nature, and history.

The smell of campfire smoke, the breeze that moves through the trees, the sounds of running water, warm conversations with friends and laughs, are all good memories that got carved into my mind and I’ll keep them forever.

FOSSIL FALLS

In this unforgettable nature exploration journey, our first stop was Fossil Falls. When we got there, all my eyes could see was a hot, dry Desert expanding all the way to the horizon. The desert was full of silence without any shades,any greens, or any creeks, yet, it was gorgeous in its own way. That wasn’t all though. When we walked more, we saw these dark colored lava formations contrasting the light desert lands. Those black colored lava formations were like gems in a desert. I was very surprised and amazed to see such interesting shapes.

Our next stop was Owens lake. It was a mostly dry lake in the Owens Valley, transformed and exploited for a century, covered by little ponds, dirt, and desert plants. In the middle of the dry lake and in middle of the nowhere, there was unexpectedly a very attractive structure catching our attention. An interesting circular structure made of stone and rustic iron created a calm and peaceful space that provided shade for its visitors. While I was sketching, I enjoyed the nice breeze, the silence of nature, and peaceful vibes. Even though the structure was in the middle of nowhere and there was no greenery, it was still really joyful to stay there.

OWENS LAKE

BODIE

After our incredible experience at Owens lake, another amazing experience was waiting for us the next day. I’ve never heard about Bodie’s history or location so all I knew was that it’s an abandoned town that is allegedly haunted. After 3 miles driving on a full gravel road we arrived to a town full of history.

By walking around Bodie I felt that I traveled to the past. I could feel the people who lived there previously, the town’s vibe, and the history. All those made me feel chilled, but also amazed at the same time. In front of my eyes was a town that once had 2000 homes and business for gold mining. A town that was burned down accidentally by a little boy who was playing with matches. The scenery was absolutely incredible and I was really captivated by the vibes of Bodie town.

Mono Lake, a large salt lake, home to more than a million birds, was our next stop. The lake by itself can be seen as an unique biological place that has some creatures who adapted themselves to the harshest conditions. From top perspective, the lake has a gorgeous view that attracts you. Because of the lake’s mesmerizing view, some of my classmates and I decided to go closer and see the lake closely. The downhill, dusty trail full of spiky plants took us near the lake. The wind was blowing strongly near the beach. Even though it was extremely hard to stand at the beach because of the heavy wind,I enjoyed the beauty of the lake. The hardest part of our trip was climbing up the hill while the strong wind was blowing against us, but we did it by helping each other, which was what made that trip even more special.

MONO LAKE

LEMBERT DOME

Another amazing stop that we had was at Lembert Dome, a granite giant dome rock formation in Yosemite Natural Park.

Lembert Dome was a short hike with a big reward. The beautiful scenery, fresh air, and the spectacular view of Tuolumne Meadows all made you feel so refreshed and energetic. Rows of dark green, slender, and tall trees formed transitional, visual layers from afar. Spending time and sketching the speechless view was really relaxing. By appreciating the beauty of the nature I felt so blessed to have a chance to visit that natural space. What a satisfying experience!

Hiking in Tuolumne Meadows was another great experience that we gained in our journey. The stiff enormous rocks, beautiful untouched forest, trail crossed in the middle of the forest alongside the river all added beauty to the Tuolumne Meadows. When I climbed the rocks and reached the highest point, I gazed around. Words are powerless to describe how beautiful the scene was. Standing on top of the cliff alone, I was amazed how gorgeous nature can be. The fresh breeze brushed my face and the natural energy refreshed my soul. I felt so alive. Sitting by the river after rock climbing was another speechless experience. What a peaceful place! I wish everyone can appreciate this beauty and peace, and keep nature alive.

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS

YOSEMITE VALLEY

Of course, one of my favorite parts of our journey was visiting Yosemite Valley. I can’t find any words to describe how much I love Yosemite. The vast tract of scenic wild lands, a mosaic of open meadows sprinkled with lots of wildflowers, oak woodlands, and mixed forests of ponderosa pin, all made Yosemite Vally a perfect place for visiting. Waterfalls around the valley added further beauty to Yosemite’s majestic nature. Just sitting and watching the mesmerizing view by itself was satisfying to my soul.

To see the mix of old and new architecture of downtown Sacramento was another breathtaking experience. This old town with the lots of history, old architecture, and interesting museums was a perfect attraction for visitors. In Sacramento, we were hosted by Michael, a landscape architect who gave us all historical and landscape architectural information, which were really helpful and educational.

We also visited an architectural firm called Stantec, so we were informed about professional landscape designing process and how can we can create a sustainable design .

SACRAMENTO

My one week camping journey was full of exploring and building lots of experience and knowledge. For sure, all these amazing lifetime experiences shaped me into a better person. More than ever now, I appreciate the beauty of nature and the history behind it. On this journey, I gained lots of knowledge, amazing friends, and beautiful moments. I’ll carry all these knowledge and experiences to another level of my life and use them in my future landscape projects.