“Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” –Edward Abbey
Trees grow tall and deep, with their roots often connecting in complex systems that are among the Earth’s largest organisms. These forests can grow in the alpine for thousands of years, quietly quaking in the breeze and withstanding the most violent of winter storms. Eventually, though, they know that they too must return to the dirt. Forests can take hundreds of years to return to the earth, if they ever do, and we could not care less.
Humanity faces the same debt owed to nature as trees, yet we choose to spend our lives growing and consuming from the outside looking in, a selfish mechanism that has eroded the very soil from our roots. Trees, however, grow from the inside looking out. They only use what they need and provide essential nutrients to the ecosystem. We no longer pay attention to the trees, nor the environment around them.
Ornate dwellings litter the mountains and the foothills, promoting the false status of human beings who believe evolution has taken them to a level higher than nature. Physical pollutants clutter the mountainsides, taking flight in the chinook winds that shaped the landscape long before any biped ever walked there.
We have become a species of encroachment, suffocating the very surroundings we once harmonized with and thrived in. Nature has become an objective to be conquered, abused and tormented by those who seek to fill the void in their lives with accomplishments rather than experiences. More than 400 people “conquered” Everest in four days this climbing season. The summit of the mighty Pike’s Peak is a war zone, complete with cigarette butts, “I drove it, so I win” shirts, and the glory of fried bread. If you know where to look, you can even find a decomposing car on “America’s Mountain.”
Edward Abbey compared humanity to cancer, a visionary statement that rings a bell of truth. Cancer spreads throughout its host, insidious and selfish, until both are dead. The mountains have never been waiting to be conquered. Any sailor will tell you the ocean cannot be tamed. Conquering for the sake of selfishness is not how trees do business. Humanity, the same as any tree, owes nature a debt, one of sustenance and respect. Nature owes us nothing; it has given us everything as we continue to take it for granted, replenishing minimally.
Fire burns for the health of the forest and the enduring community; it is servant and selfless. Fire only consumes what the forest needs it to, seemingly in random patterns to human eyes. We do not allow our forests to burn and fruit new life because of our own selfish, socialized tendencies.
Drawing upon the true strength nature gives us, not the perceived strength we place upon ourselves, will allow for us to truly reach our potential. Let our roots run deep rather than spread in out in shallow soil, waiting for a light exhalation to knock us over.
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A fourth-generation Colorado native, Matt Griffith enjoys numerous outdoor activities all over the state. He graduated from UCCS in 2018 in Leadership with a Geography minor and a passion for wildland conservation. Mountaineering, skiing and climbing with his wife Sonia and dog Zeus are where he is at home. He is a life-long learner, sci-fi enthusiast and avid Abbey and Thoreau fan.
