Ukhahlamba Oluncane Kakhulu Lwezintaba ZaseRocky

SIFILE ukukhathala, sakhipha isitofu esincane saqala ukupheka ukudla kwasekuseni. Sasishayele amakhilomitha angaba ngu-5 000 ngezinsuku ezinhlanu, sisuka eNew York siya eWyoming. Njengoba sidla ukudla kwasekuseni, sabuka indawo esasikuyo.

Ukukhanya kwelanga kwakukuhle, kuheleza nomoya ohlanzekile. Kodwa leli pikiniki lalingafani namanye esake sawenza sisendleleni—indawo yayiyinhle kakhulu! Sasidla ngasosebeni lweChibi iJackson eGrand Teton National Park. Phambi kwethu kwakunezintaba ezinhle eziphakeme. Akukho esasikubone ohambweni lwethu lwamakhilomitha angu-16 000 eNtshonalanga yezwe okwakube umbukwane ngale ndlela. Sasazi ukuthi uma kwakungavela ithuba lokuba sibuye, sasiyosukumela phezulu.

IGrand Teton iphakeme ngamamitha angaba ngu-4 200, kanti iziqongo zamanye amagquma amaningi kulolu khahlamba zifinyelela ukuphakama okungamamitha angu-3 700. Nakuba lungeluncane, lolu khahlamba alunazo izintaba eziphakeme kakhulu. Kuye ngokuthi uqhamuka ngakuluphi uhlangothi ngemoto, ungase ungaluboni ngisho nokulubona lolu Khahlamba LwaseTeton. Uma uvela ngasentshonalanga, ungase uqaphele nje ukuthi indawo iwumqansa—okungeyona into etheni! Kodwa uma uvela ngasempumalanga, lezi zintaba zivele ziphakame emathafeni futhi zengame isigodi esingaphansi kwazo ngebanga elingaphezu kwekhilomitha nesigamu. Umbukwane ngempela.

Ukuphindela Kwethu

Ngemva kweminyaka eminingi sifisa, sagcina sikwazile ukubuyela khona. Kulokhu, saya eJackson Hole, eWyoming, sase sikhuphukela enyakatho ezintabeni zaseTeton. Ake uhambe nathi njengoba siqala usuku lwethu eChibini iJenny elicwebile, elingaphansi nje kwesiqongo esiphakeme kunazo zonke kulolu khahlamba.

Sizwa kuheleza umoya opholile wasekuseni. Ilanga alikaphumi, kodwa asisodwa. Kunabanye abantu abahamba nathi. Abanye abathwebuli bezithombe bafuna ukuthwebula lezi zintaba ezinhle njengoba kuphuma ilanga elizenza zibe nombala obomvana nokusagolide. Ngokungazelelwe sima khimilili—kunenyamazane enkulu yensikazi esigqolozele! Iyama, iqaphile, ngoba inezinyane eliklabayo buqamama ukusuka kithi. Sikhipha amakhamera ngesikhulu isineke. Ngaphandle kokunyakaza, siyathwebula. Sesingakhululeka manje; usuku lwethu eChibini iJenny seluqalile njalo.

Sihamba neqembu labaqomboli bezintaba sigibela isikebhe, ngokushesha sifika ekuqaleni komzila oyikhilomitha nesigamu ubude okhuphukela e-Inspiration Point. Siyehla esikebheni, futhi ngokushesha sithola umoya opholile wasehlathini. Njengoba sikhuphuka ngomzila onyukelayo, siyalishiya ichibi. Siqala ukuzwa ukuhlokoma kwezimpophoma buqamama. Sihefuzela, siphuma ehlathini bese sithi ukuhlaba ikhefu esiqongweni sedwala elikhulu. Sithamela isigcaki elangeni lasekuseni sijabulela nomoya opholile wasezintabeni. Ngaphansi lé kuneChibi iJenny, eselinombala ocwazimulayo oluhlaza. Njengoba lizungezwe yizihlahla ezisegqumeni eliphakeme, leli chibi libukeka njengomsebenzi wengcweti eyenza imigexo.

Phambi kwethu kunezintaba eziphakeme okuthiwa iCathedral Group. Ngawo-1930, uDkt. Fryxell, isazi semvelo esahlola lolu khahlamba, wabhala: “Njengoba ephakeme kunakho konke okunye, eneziqongo ezicijile [la magquma] enza umqondo womuntu ucabange ngothile ophakeme nakakhulu.” Sigcwele ukumangala, sibuka ubuhle be-Inspiration Point. Kakade sinomuzwa wokuthi sesiwutholile umvuzo wemizamo yethu. Kodwa kunokwengeziwe.

Umzila esikuwo ubonakala usuqondile manje njengoba ugwingciza ngaphansi kweCascade Canyon. Ngokushesha sesiphakathi kwamawa aphakeme, anemifula egeleza emaceleni. Siyazibuza, ‘Le ndawo yenziwa yini yaba nje?’ Ngokungazelelwe, sihlangana nengane ejabule. Isimagange ngempela. Ihefuzela, iyahlebeza: “Sibone iphiva! Sheshani nizobona!”

Ukuthi lezi zintaba zakheka kanjani sekuphumile engqondweni. Sithatha ikhamera, silungela ukuthwebula esinye sezilwane ezinhle kakhulu ezitholakala kule ndawo. Le ntombazanyana isiholela endaweni ephakeme. Bethule, bonke abakubo bayakhomba. Laphaya, exhaphozini eduze komfula, sibona iphiva leduna. Siligqolozele simangele, sithwebula izithombe, sihlebeza ngendlela esinenhlanhla ngayo ngokuba lapha ngesikhathi esifanele.

Ukwakheka Komhlaba Nezingqimba Zawo

Njengoba kukuningi kangaka esingakubona, kulula ukukhohlwa ukubuza ngomlando wale ndawo ebabazekayo. Kodwa, abaphathi bale ndawo yokulondoloza imvelo benza konke okusemandleni abo ukuba bakhanyisele futhi bafundise umphakathi, banyathelisa izincwajana eziningi futhi bahlela amaqembu okuqombola izintaba aholwa abanakekeli abayizazi zemvelo.

Sachazelwa ukuthi nakuba umhlaba esimi kuwo ubonakala uqinile, ngandlela-thile ufana nechibi elineqhwa entwasahlobo—awuqinile ngendlela obukeka ngayo! Izazi zokuma komhlaba zinenkolelo-mbono ethi ungqimba lomhlaba lunezingqimba eziningana nokuthi lezi zingqimba, ezihlezi phezu kwamadwala ancibilikile, ziyahamba. Kithina, okwasithakazelisa ngale nkolelo-mbono ukuthi lapho lezi zingqimba zishayisana, kungakheka izintaba.

OKhahlamba LwaseTeton, kubonakala sengathi olunye ungqimba lwaba njengomgxala, lwaphakamisa olunye. Umphumela uyilokho izazi zokuma komhlaba ezikubiza nge-fault-block mountain front. Bathi uKhahlamba LwaseTeton lusanda kwakheka ngempela uma kuqhathaniswa, ngokolimi lososayensi bokuma komhlaba. Ngakho incwajana echaza le ndawo yokulondoloza imvelo iyibiza ngokuthi “ukhahlamba oluncane kakhulu noluhle kunazo zonke eziNtabeni zaseRocky.”

Amanzi Neqhwa Okugweda Indawo

Sazithola zithakazelisa lezi zimpendulo, kodwa zaphakamisa eminye imibuzo. Sacabanga ngohambo lwethu eChibini iJenny. Yini eyenza lawo magquma acije kangaka? Kuthiwani ngegquma eliphakeme elizungeze ichibi, elinezihlahla eziningi kangaka? Ziphendula zithini izazi zokuma komhlaba? Konke kubangelwe amanzi. Zicabanga ukuthi esikhathini esithile endulo, izinguzunga zeqhwa zakha amawa oKhahlamba LwaseTeton. Lelo gquma elizungeze ichibi, elaziwa ngokuthi i-moraine, lakhiwa yiqhwa elihambayo. Leli gquma lavimba enye inguzunga esincibilikile manje nenhlabathi evundile.

Le ncazelo iveza ukuthi kungani kugcwele izitshalo kangaka eduze kwaleli chibi, ikakhulukazi uma uqhathanisa nogwadule nenkangala yamathafa aseduze. Sihlabeke umxhwele, sacela lo mnakekeli oyisazi semvelo ukuba asitshele okwengeziwe. Wathi ukucija kwalezo ziqongo zezintaba kwakubangelwe yinqubo ehlukile. Wayibiza ngokuthi i-frost-wedging. Amanzi angena emifantwini esemadwaleni, ayenze ivuleke kakhulu lapho eba yiqhwa. Ekugcineni lowo mfutho uqhephula izingxenye zedwala, lisale licijile. Sambonga kakhulu ngencazelo yakhe nangokushisekela lezi zintaba.

Izilwane

Ngaphandle kokwakheka okubabazekayo, le ndawo igcwele izilwane. Lokhu kwenza uhambo lwethu eMfuleni iSnake lukhumbuleke. Njengoba sibuka indawo, sabona izinkozi ama-bald eagle nezinkwazi zindiza phezulu esibhakabhakeni bese zintweza zingene emfuleni zibambe izinhlanzi. Umqondisi wesikebhe sethu, ongusosayensi oneziqu, wasibonisa okuthile okwasimangalisa. Nakuba ukhozi lulukhulu futhi lwesabeka, inkwazi iyona ngempela ewumpetha wokudoba. Uthi wake wabona izinkozi ziphuca izinkwazi izinhlanzi. Ngempela, sabuka njengoba ukhozi luhlasela inkwazi encane. Le nkwazi yashiya ukudla kwayo yashaya yachitha.

Ukubuka izilwane endaweni yazo yemvelo kwakuvusa amadlingozi. Eduze kuneNational Elk Refuge, futhi amaphiva amaningi achitha ihlobo eGrand Teton National Park. Sasima njalo sibukele imihlambi yamaphiva iklabile. Ngezinye izikhathi, sasihlala kuvulandi wendlu ukuze sibukele amaphiva eklabe ngokuthula phakathi kweminyezane. Ebusuku kwakuba sengathi lezi zilwane zibukisa ezixukwini ezibuthene zizozibukela. Nakuba sikhathele, sasihlala ukuze nje sibone okuthile abantu basemadolobheni abangavamile ukukubona—isibhakabhaka esimnyama bhuqe esinezinkanyezi.

Ngosuku lokugcina savalelisa ngendlela eyingqayizivele. Sasesaba futhi simangele njengoba sidlula phakathi komhlambi wezinyathi ama-bison. Umhlambi walezi zilwane ezinkulu, ezinoboya obumahlikihliki wawumi nhlangothi zombili zomgwaqo. Kwakungemnandi ukuhamba! Kodwa kwase kuyisikhathi sokuhamba.

Njengoba sihlezi endizeni silindele ukusuka, sacabanga ngohambo lwethu. Sakwazisa esasikujabulele isikhashana—izintaba, umoya ohlanzekile nezilwane. Yeka indlela okwakujabulisa ngayo ukugcwalisa isifiso sesikhathi eside sokuphindela oKhahlamba LwaseTeton! Ngempela, ukhahlamba oluncane lweziNtaba zaseRocky luhle kakhulu.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 19]

Ukusikisela Okuthile Ezivakashini

Zinike isikhathi sokujwayela umoya ohlabayo. Isigodi ngokwaso singamamitha angaphezu kuka-1 800 ngaphezu kogu lolwandle. Ezinye izivakashi ezivela ezindaweni eziphansi zingase zingaphatheki kahle ngenxa yokuphakama kwendawo, mhlawumbe zibe nobuhlungu bekhanda noma ukuphatheka kabi. Asebekhulile, ikakhulukazi abanenkinga yenhliziyo noma izifo zemigudu yokuphefumula, bangase bakuthole kuwukuhlakanipha ukuxoxa nodokotela wabo ngaphambi kokuthatha uhambo olunjalo.

Zilungiselele kahle ngaphambi kokuqombola izintaba. Khumbula ukuthi indawo ephakeme neyomile yenza umzimba uphelelwe amanzi ngokushesha. Phatha amanzi amaningi.

Le ndawo isendle, inezilwane eziningi ezinkulu futhi ezinhle, kodwa izilwane zasendle. Ezinye izivakashi ziyakuthanda ukusondela, kodwa izilwane zingase zisabele ngendlela ongayilindele. Lalela futhi ulandele izeluleko zomnakekeli zokuthi uziphathe kanjani izilwane endaweni yazo yemvelo. Ngaphandle nje kokuthi lokho okushiwo umnakekeli kuyathakazelisa, kungasindisa ukuphila.

[Amabalazwe ekhasini 17]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

INtaba iMoran, oKhahlamba LwaseTeton

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

ICascade Canyon engenhla

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Inyathi i-“bison”

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Ukhozi i-“bald eagle”

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Ukushona kwelanga ezintabeni zaseTeton

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Iphiva leduna