Both Joan and I have a great love for the mountains and rivers and deserts of the American west. I suppose this came from our childhoods. We both grew up in Wyoming and learned at an early age to love the wild places around us. Joan grew up camping and fishing and hiking with her family in the Wind River Mountains in the North-western part of the state. I had similar experiences. When I was between ten and fourteen or so, my parents would often take my brother and I on a series of wonderful summer vacation trips to the great National Parks of the West. Since we lived in Wyoming, one of the places we often visited was Grand Teton National Park. I can still remember one magic morning when we got up very early to go on a hike. We were walking around Jenny Lake shortly after dawn. The lake was absolutely still and mirrored the majestic Cathedral Group of the Tetons. Mists swirled above the lake and in the high peaks. The air was filled with the scent of pine and clean mountain water. I was absolutely enthralled. I vowed to come back. And I have. I've been back to the Tetons every year of my life since, except for a couple of years that I spent in the army. As a result of experiences like this, the great American National Parks have become a central and enduring part of my life.