Take Only Memories, Leave Only Footprints

T ake Only Memories, Leave Only Footprints Mina Lai.LA5581.Visual Communication for Design.Fall 2019.Cal Poly Pomona

Foreword

In the warm, late summer and early autumn days of September, my cohort members and I took a week-long trip to Sacramento. We made several stops in between and camped at various areas between Pomona and Sacramento. Many feelings came out from this trip, ranging from curiosity to anxiety, frustration, relief, appreciation, and awe. I was very fortunate to spend this week with cordial, considerate, altruistic, and encouraging people.

The friendships deepened were my personal highlights of this trip.

The sites we visited broadened my perspectives of people’s relationships to their surroundings, whether it is a negative or positive one. I became more conscious of how our surroundings can eventually be destroyed by natural processes, but also by people themselves. This reminder deepened by desire to protect the existing natural landscapes and made me appreciate even more the spaces we have.

As you flip through the pages of my experiences, I hope it will inspire you to step outside and take your own journey as well.

Fire Meets Water

Fossil Falls was, at first glance, unusual but intriguing. The rock patterns seemed unpredictable and every angle of the formations looked different.

I later learned that these organic shapes were caused by volcanic lava flow being carved by flowing water from the Ice Ages. Although the desert conditions of the area heightened the heat I felt, the volcanic visuals I don’t usually see in daily life made me stay longer to appreciate the scene.

I was awed by the fact that the artistic view originated from natural forces.

Rest Stops Stepping out of the car for a needed stretch and restroom break at the Eastern Sierra Interagency Center turned out to be a educational opportunity. The welcome center had a variety of labeled plants in their colorful garden. This was helpful for someone (Myself included) unfamiliar with identifying specific plants. The plants had interesting mixes of leaf, stem, and floral textures.

Shelter Outside Our three campsites were Baker Creek campground, Lee Vining Campground, and Hodgdon Meadows. It felt soothing and peaceful hearing the sounds of flowing water at the first two mentioned campsites. Because I could still hear the streams from my tent, I was lulled to sleep despite lying on the uncomfortable dirt ground. This experience reminded me of the remedial effects of water.

Depleted but Howling Finding the way to Owens Lake through off-roads was stressful, but it was worth coming here. Sitting under the shade in silence and isolation, I could hear only the strong gusts of winds through the empty valley, emphasized further by the echos vibrating off the metal spikes on the roof. That moment made me feel small within a vast and somehow melancholic world. Although my personal troubles no longer seemed that significant, a bigger problem of balancing society’s needs and natural resources arose. I felt sad to learn that the lake had been drained to provide water to the cities. I acknowledged the need for water was important, but seeing this made me reflect on how needs could be met without sacrificing so much of the natural landscape. Witnessing this scenery also reminded me that even if my designs are wellintentioned, others may not perceive it as so if their values are not met.

Left Behind.....

Manzanar and Bodie both shared a isolated, lonely, and deserted atmosphere. This resonated well with the stories both had to tell. Manzanar was a relocation camp in which Japanese Americans were removed from their homes against their wishes.

Bodie was a once-thriving gold mine town that residents eventually abandoned. Together, these two remnants are examples of spaces left behind to age after their purposes have been lost.

Oasis of Salt

One the day we visited Mono Lake, winds were so severe that the neighboring area’s powers went out. Because the winds were blowing constant sand into my eyes and propelling me forward, I decided not to walk to the lake shores. Although I was not able to see the tufa towers up-close, the copious desert plants leading the way to the lake provided a lot of visual features to look at.

The path down wasn’t clearly defined though, so I may have taken an off route accidently. Coming back up the hill proved difficult, especially with the continuous winds going against our direction, so my friends and I were really thankful when a generous driver gave us a ride up to the marked parking lot.

Bold and Iconic Yosemite was a vast and gorgeous landscape to be in. There were so many spots to see, from the tall granite cliffs of reflected sunset colors to clean fresh, lakes. It was comforting to see flourishing wild life here, including multiple deers grazing on vegetations within a few feet. These natural surroundings felt precious and worth protecting for future generations.

Urban Spaces The urban spaces we saw at Angels Camp and Sacramento were inspirational to my personal interests in urban outdoors. I was conscious of a lot of contrasts here to downtown Los Angeles. To begin with, the areas here were clean and I didn’t spot any graffiti.

The streets also seemed to invite more positive energy and crowds.

I suspect the roofed, open side sidewalks play a part in this. The shade from it invites more people to spend time walking, browsing, and interacting.

There was also so much more greenery mixed in compared to the hard surfaces of downtown Los Angeles. Sacramento had more trees and lawns scattered throughout between architecture structures. Overall, seeing and walking within these urban spaces felt safe and pleasant, which are the feelings I want to bring to other populated areas.