Trevor had made countless visits to the Grand Tetons, yet he felt the same exhilaration and wonder as the first time he crossed over from Yellowstone and gazed at September’s sparkling splashes of color; a blush rivaling Monet’s palette. He imagined the mountains were sprinkled with sugar by the light dusting of snow and listened to the ethereal calls of the Bull Moose in search of a cow, what Trevor liked to think of as finding a soulmate with whom to share all this beauty.
Crossing the field to a nearby lake, Trevor flushed with excitement as he spotted a Trumpeter Swan gliding across the surface. Its scientific name is Cygnus Buccinator, he mused. So great was his love of nature at one time he had resolved to memorize all the names of every plant and animal in every national park in the United States. But he soon realized there was just not enough time so decided to abandon the left side, the intellectual side, of the brain and use every second to flood his right brain’s senses, simply letting the beauty wash over him.
Trevor knew to his immediate right was a steep, narrow path leading up the side of a 22 foot rise, overlooking a hidden valley not visible from this spot. He stepped onto the path, as he does every time he visits this location, and began running up the incline, running and pushing himself hard and then even harder. He knew he should be exhausted but his respiration rose only slightly, and not from exertion but from exhilaration. He wondered if his mother would ever understand the feeling of being totally immersed in a “You Are There” experience.
“Trevor, come down. There’s someone here I want you to meet.”
His mother’s voice broke the reverie. Time to go. Trevor took one last deep breath of the fresh, cool mountain air, and one final glance at the glorious vistas surrounding him, closed his eyes and removed the goggles. He set the goggles on the desk carefully. They cost his mother more than they could afford but both agreed they were worth the investment. Trevor rolled his chair back from the folding table that acted as his desk and pushed to the living room. He could have had a rechargeable chair but preferred the manual model; a good upper body workout. Miracles do happen he thought, and when it does I want to have retained as much muscle tone as possible.
As Trevor pushed the wheels forward into the living room he saw his mother begin to come toward him to help. His quick, steely glare told her not to and she stopped, aching to see him try so hard to cover his pain with a smile.
“Trevor, this is Mrs. Meyers from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She has some wonderful things to tell you.” Trevor smiled and extended his hand to Mrs. Meyers as she softly clasped his hand in a careful greeting. His slight turn to his mother with a blank stare clearly delivered his message. He was not happy to have this visitor.
Mrs. Meyers spoke directly to him. “Trevor, Make-A-Wish has arranged for you to spend two days at Yellowstone National Park. You and your mother will be escorted by a qualified guide and park ranger to make sure you both are safe and get to visit all the most beautiful places. You will spend two nights at the beautiful Canyon Lodge. From there you can get an early start to see everything you want within the park.” Mrs. Meyers paused her much practiced speech to see his reaction.
“Thank you Mrs. Meyers. It is very kind but I have been to Yellowstone. Perhaps there is someone else who would love a trip like this?”
Looking slightly bewildered Mrs. Meyers looked to Trevor’s mother who, as she flashed her silent glare to Trevor, said “He hasn’t actually been. He visits National Parks with his ‘You Are There’ computer program and virtual reality headset. I am sure he would be amazed at the beauty and grandeur of a real trip there.” As she spoke her eyes pleaded with Trevor not to carry this any further.
“My mother is right, Mrs. Meyers. I am just a little nervous. I can’t even imagine what I might feel being there in person. Definitely a trip of a lifetime, but I guess that goes without saying. Your organization is almost too wonderful to believe. I don’t know why I deserve such kindness but thank you.”
Visibly relieved Mrs. Meyers sat on the edge of the chair and filled in some of the information he would want to know. “We have worked closely with your mother on the details. You both will be leaving one week from today and be gone two nights. There will always be a guide with you and a medical staff available…” As she continued Trevor maintained a smile but tuned out. Her words didn’t matter, his mom was happy.
When Mrs. Meyers left Trevor’s mother set the table for dinner. Trevor helps arranging the plates and silverware as he always does. “Mom, you know I don’t want to go. I’ve been there and it is beautiful. I just want to spend my time here. With the virtual programs my mind is able to see, feel and smell. It’s enough.”
“You will love it Trev and we will be together out of this dingy little house. In the fresh mountain air.”
“I like this house and the air is fine. But if it will make you happy.”
“It will make us happy Trev, even for a short time I know we will find our smiles.”
“Sure mom, let’s do it!”
No more was said about it that night. They had dinner in silence and Trevor went back to his room and downloaded a new program for Black Canyon at Gunnison National Park in Western Colorado. It was small for a National Park but, he had read, worth the trip. He put on the goggles and entered the park.
Trevor confidently strode over the brownish scrub and rocky surface, an unpaved trail of about 200 feet to get to the edge of the South Rim of Black Canyon. When the full majesty of the Painted Wall stood before him he froze in wonder. A steep cliff, the tallest in Colorado, and from his virtual vantage point viewed the entire length of the face, brushed with nature’s dark, intense hue, blurring as his eyes filled with tears. With a click he was on the North Rim, inaccessible to the unseasoned hiker, taking in another angle of the Painted Wall. Another click and he continued with a most difficult hike along the Gunnison River at the bottom of Black Canyon and through one of the deepest, longest and narrowest gorges in the world. When he came to the end of the path he felt a sudden tiredness and removing his goggles fell immediately asleep. He had a lot to take in.
The day before Mrs. Meyers would come by to pick them up Trevor sat at the dinner table with his mother.
“Mom, if we didn’t go would you be really disappointed?”
“Of course I would. Wouldn’t you? You have always wanted to go to Yellowstone, even when you were a little boy and would camp in the back yard with daddy. You both wanted to go.”
“Yes, I know. But with Dad gone…and I have been there you know.”
“Trevor, as wonderful as the goggles and programs are you can never know what it is like to actually be there, until you have.”
“OK mom, I’ll be ready. I am really tired and think I’ll go to bed. Big day tomorrow. I love you.”
“Love you too son. I’ll be in to say goodnight before I go upstairs.”
With that Trevor rolled back from the table and into his room. He loaded the Yellowstone National Park program thinking about the Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful in the Upper Geyser Basin. He looked for where he set the goggle then thought to himself, I don’t need the program tonight, not tonight. He turned off the computer and wrote a short note to his mom saying how excited he was to be going to Yellowstone and that having to share it with someone makes it that much better. He signed the note as always, “Love you forever Mom!”
With that done he moved to the bed, lifting himself on to the mattress and into his favorite sleeping position on his back. He immediately drifted off and was in Yellowstone, effortlessly hiking up the trail from the Dunraven Pass Trailhead to Mount Washburn. As he neared the top he saw a man was already there, taking in the one of the most magnificent vistas in all of nature. Smiling to himself, Trevor knew he would always have someone with him to share the view.