{"id":20332,"date":"2015-02-21T06:07:42","date_gmt":"2015-02-21T13:07:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=20332"},"modified":"2026-03-31T14:03:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T19:03:45","slug":"the-love-of-wilderness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/02\/21\/the-love-of-wilderness\/","title":{"rendered":"The Love of Wilderness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Capitol<\/p>\n

The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth \u2026 the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need \u2014 if only we had the eyes to see.<\/em>
\n\u2014 Edward Abbey<\/p>\n

I know from personal experience that I am always hungry for what is beyond my reach when it comes to wilderness. I want to see it all, touch it all with my feet and explore it all with my eyes and my camera. I have traveled all my life and seen the most amazing cities and towns but it is nature and the wilderness that I find the most satisfying.<\/p>\n

It doesn’t matter what kind of wilderness it is because all of it is precious, every square acre of it. From grassy plains, sea shores, montane valleys, alpine slopes, marshes, canyons, deserts, and forests each one is a paradise. A treasure to be loved and protected.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click\u00a0here<\/a><\/span>\u00a0to see more of my Capitol Reef National Park photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have traveled all my life and seen the most amazing cities and towns but it is nature and the wilderness that I find the most satisfying. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":173722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1427,2152,26,2486],"tags":[3361,4098,17439,2664,4360,17438,4035,1600,11359,2356,12241,344,4475],"class_list":["post-20332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-capitol-reef-national-park-utah","category-conservation","category-utah","category-wayne-county","tag-chinle","tag-desert","tag-domes","tag-edward-abbey","tag-landscape-photography","tag-layers-of-time","tag-nature-photography","tag-navajo-sandstone-2","tag-quote","tag-red-rocks","tag-rock-formations","tag-scenery","tag-wilderness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/capitol-reef-national-park-abbey-mia-mcpherson-8636.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-5hW","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17168,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/11\/20\/the-idea-of-wilderness-needs-no-defense\/","url_meta":{"origin":20332,"position":0},"title":"The idea of wilderness needs no defense","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"This past Saturday I watched the movie \"Wrenched\" with two dear friends so it seemed only fitting to share a quote from Edward Abbey some time this week.","rel":"","context":"In "Conservation"","block_context":{"text":"Conservation","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/conservation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The road to the San Rafael Swell","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/san-rafael-swell-ed-abbey-mia-mcpherson-1909.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/san-rafael-swell-ed-abbey-mia-mcpherson-1909.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/san-rafael-swell-ed-abbey-mia-mcpherson-1909.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/san-rafael-swell-ed-abbey-mia-mcpherson-1909.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16484,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/11\/02\/we-need-a-refuge-even-though-we-may-never-need-to-go-there\/","url_meta":{"origin":20332,"position":1},"title":"We need a refuge even though we may never need to go there\u2026","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Wilderness brings me peace, hope and the desire to immerse myself into it as much as I possibly can.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Common Ravens in a storm, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/common-ravens-storm-mia-mcpherson-7870-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/common-ravens-storm-mia-mcpherson-7870-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/common-ravens-storm-mia-mcpherson-7870-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/common-ravens-storm-mia-mcpherson-7870-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16776,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/11\/09\/the-richest-values-of-wilderness-lie-in-the-future\/","url_meta":{"origin":20332,"position":2},"title":"The Richest Values Of Wilderness Lie In The Future","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 9, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Every day scientists, conservationists and nature lovers are speaking up. Our numbers are growing and we are an increasing force to be reckoned with.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snow on Antelope Island, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/antelope-island-snow-leopold-mia-mcpherson-6408.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/antelope-island-snow-leopold-mia-mcpherson-6408.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/antelope-island-snow-leopold-mia-mcpherson-6408.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Quote","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/antelope-island-storm-edward-abbey-mia-mcpherson-3546.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/antelope-island-storm-edward-abbey-mia-mcpherson-3546.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/antelope-island-storm-edward-abbey-mia-mcpherson-3546.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/antelope-island-storm-edward-abbey-mia-mcpherson-3546.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55444,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/12\/30\/finishing-up-old-projects-to-prepare-for-the-new-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":20332,"position":4},"title":"Finishing Up Old Projects To Prepare For The New Year","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The road ahead is wide open and I'm excited to move forward, to explore more, get lost in nature more often, more moments to enjoy the sounds of being in the wilderness, to enjoy more.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"North side of the Bear River MBR auto tour route in winter, Box Elder County, 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Great Basin National Park, Nevada","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 24, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I didn't have much luck photographing birds and wildlife last week in Great Basin National Park which is located in White Pine County, Nevada but I did take plenty of images of the scenery and the fall colors.","rel":"","context":"In "Great Basin National Park"","block_context":{"text":"Great Basin National Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/nevada\/great-basin-national-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bare aspen view at the Shoshone camping area, Great Basin National Park, White Pine County, 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