“In wildness is the preservation of the world.”
When Henry David Thoreau wrote those words so long ago, could he have had any idea just how important and relevant they would remain so many years into the future?
He and many other fine visionary nature writers down through the years have reminded us of what we surely must inherently know, deep in our hearts. That the human spirit may not wholly thrive, or perhaps even survive, without an opportunity to feel the pulse of intact wild Nature in untarnished wild places.
With a value far beyond the obvious benefits of sustaining valuable natural resources or even sustaining fragile ecosystems and endangered species, on a more personal, human level, untouched landscapes are a place of healing and sanctuary. More than ever, we need our irreplaceable wildlands.
Our wilderness areas are precious and sacred places indeed…vital places to seek the peace and serenity of Nature…a space in which to experience exhilarating outdoor adventure or quiet, personal solitude.
Nearly my entire life has been consumed with exploring, hiking and backpacking the wildlands of the American Rocky Mountain West, most often in the company of only my dog as my hiking companion.
Whether traversing high, alpine basins in Colorado, casting to wild Cutthroat Trout in Montana, probing untracked, twisted desert canyons in Southern Utah, or following the tracks of the mighty Grizzly Bear in British Columbia, wilderness has grown to become the landscape of my soul and my greatest source of artistic inspiration.
My self-publishing venture, 12 DAYS PUBLISHING COMPANY, allows me to bring my watercolor and soft pastel artwork, my photographic images, my observations and musings, and my stories all together in a series of books that seek to capture both the excitement and the tranquility of time spent in remote and pristine wilderness.
I hope that you will join me on my continuing journey toward a deeper understanding of self and a closer and more personal relationship with our natural world. May you find peace here as well.
~ Jimmy Lange
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