Purple Mountains Majesty (Above the Fruited Plain)

I want to share with you the magnificent site that I see everyday from my yard and my windows; a source of strength and power for me. I live on the Great Plains just before the mountains rise, surrounded by farm and ranch land. The mountains you see here are Long’s Peak and Mount Meeker together called the Twin Peaks. They are some of the tallest mountains in Colorado making them strong symbols for orientation. Although Native Americans probably used Long’s peak to collect eagle feathers, the first recorded ascent of Longs Peak was by John Wesley Powell in 1868.

Looking at these majestic mountains everyday feeds my spirit and gives me inspiration. I find it important to have a landscape that I feel connected with and is a constant reminder of what is sacred. These mountains were once the home of the Ute Tribe who found their guardian spirit there. Many Native Americans found that these highest of places were also spiritually powerful, so much so that they could pose a danger to those who are not shamans. These mountains were used for vision quests many years ago.

Many Mountain views in Colorado are in endangered by development. Landscape in this state in the form of mountain views, prairie grasslands and agriculture are important to tourists and residents as well, making conservation an important issue.

Two important conservation programs are being used in my area. The county itself owns 24,000 acres that it preserves for farm and ranch land. Private farmers and ranchers can lease this land out for agricultural purposes. The property across the street from me is 160 acres of county owned land leased by my neighbor to grow alfalfa. Another program is

Conservation easements by which land owner can receive a tax benefit by setting aside a portion of their land for conservation purposes that include agriculture, wildlife habitat or scenic open space. A significant piece of land behind my property is set aside for this purpose. It is our hope that these programs will serve their purpose and preserve Colorado landscapes.

Here is an article from the Economist about how land is being preserved in Colorado:

http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8636287

Here is an article about mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park:

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/romo/mcbeth/oral_history.pdf