This guy. I struggle to find words for how important this man is both in the scope of our nation’s history and in regards to the development of our national park system. We owe him a deep debt of gratitude for his pursuit of land conservation for the sake of personal retreat and solitude. Were it not for his efforts, many of the natural sanctuaries in which our spirits are most nourished would not have been rescued from development.
He was wild, perhaps even a little (or a lot) crazy. The adventures he pursued so passionately, and the words he used to describe the importance of the natural world all allude to a man who was uniquely gifted in a way that comes along rarely.
Our world would not survive all of us being like John, for his energy and passion would certainly be dangerous in mass; but as surely as a pinch of salt brings forward the sweetness of a cake, so John’s spirit of worry-less adventure has made each of our lives much sweeter in the assurance of the conservancy of these earthly tabernacles.
Thank you, John.
journeywithus 