Out on the trail,
Leaning against a rock,
Cooking supper, and
Watching the water boil.
I’m hungry,
But have to wait.
And so,
I feast on tales.
We begin with a story
About noodling for Catfish.
Which seamlessly leads to
A discussion of Black Holes.
And then, there’s a description
Of how to set a cedar fence post
In rocky ground.
The lasagna will take 20 more minutes,
But no worries…….
Because there’s plenty more food for thought,
Waiting to be had.
Further proof
that dessert,
Is often
Best eaten first.
The Top of Huayna Potosi; Cordillera Real, Bolivia
Take the broad shoulder
Above the Upper Lake
To the North Ridge.
Then, follow it up to an obvious headwall.
Bypass that to the east
And gain the summit pyramid.
Thirty degrees,
Mixed terrain.
One step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Dirt, rock, then snow.
Be careful
With your feet.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Crampons,
Balling up.
Tap with
Your ice axe.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Look to the west,
And see the mountains
Create the horizon.
Step.
Rest,
And breathe.
The rope,
Keep it
On the downside.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Chunks of snow,
Sliding
Down the slope.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
The tie-in,
Check
The knot.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Ice axe,
In the
Uphill hand.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Don’t fall,
But be ready
To self-arrest.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Blue sky overhead,
Cloud build-up
In the west.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Hot and thirsty,
Snow and ice
Everywhere.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Wind,
Slapping
The face.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Keep following
The trail
In the snow.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
The top,
Over there and
Not so far.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Steeper,
But only
For a short distance.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Water,
Got to stop
To take a drink.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
That has to be it.
The summit ridge,
Straight on up to the top.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Plumes of snow,
Being blown
Over the top.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Everything,
Seems to be
Below.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Which one
Is the actual
Summit?
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
Pain,
Lungs burning, and cold feet.
Joy.
Step,
Rest,
And breathe.
No more up.
No time to rest.
Don’t waste your breath.
Raindrops pounding my tent,
They sound like thunderous applause,
Every time the wind gusts,
And throws them in bunches
Against the fly.
Lightning flashes remind me
Of other power surges.
Thin sheets of nylon
Are all that shield me
From the wet and chaos.
But all is well,
Because the dome protecting me
Is well anchored.
And I am warm and dry,
Zipped-up inside it.
I’m getting sleepy,
Even though it’s only 4:00 in the afternoon.
It’s good to be
Settled into my sleeping bag,
Just as the music begins.
I close my eyes and listen.
As the Rain Symphony gets underway.
I’m intent on absorbing its every nuance.
The subtle pauses, the crescendos,
The somber moments, the tempo changes.
Have I heard this one before, I wonder?
Some parts sound familiar.
But I know better.
Because every Rain Symphony is unique.
Each performance only happens once.
There will be other concerts
That are nearly,
But not quite,
The same.
Each is composed of
Familiar and comfortable sounds,
Blended with surprise.
Like always, the music is spectacular.
Contentedly,
I let my mind wander,
And begin to dream.
Tarryall Mountains,
Colorado treasure.
Smack dab in the middle of the state,
And overlooking South Park.
Improbable and majestic granite towers,
Boulders of all sizes,
Alpine tundra,
Bighorn Sheep,
And Bristlecone Pines.
Rambling streams and beaver ponds.
Smoky Quartz and Topaz.
Calypso Orchids,
Old-growth forest,
And a creek that disappears.
Tales of Utes,
The last wild buffalo,
Wolves,
Gunfights,
Walt Whitman on a train,
Homesteaders,
And miners rich with gold.
Bison Peak, McCurdy Mountain,
McCurdy Tower, and McCurdy Park.
X Rock, the Sand Creek Buttress,
Twin Eagles,
And Spruce Grove.
Humongous crystals, albino trout,
Ute Creek, and Bison Pass.
The Hourglass Burn, Lost Park Wilderness,
Brookside-McCurdy Trail,
And the Old Miner’s Cabin.
A wild place with few people,
Plenty of mystery,
And a warm wind that whispers “Tarryall.”
Whether you’re sitting on a ridge,
Leaning against a tree,
Propped against a rock,
Resting on a bench,
Or rocking in a chair.
It doesn’t matter.
It’s all good,
And you can watch it unfold every day.
The Sun falls
Onto the horizon.
And then,
Disappears.
It happens differently everywhere.
But in the mountains,
A final burst of light,
Comes before the night.
It’s called Alpenglow.
For a brief moment,
Distant peaks come to life.
Mutedly brilliant,
Spectacular, and subtly bright.
Then,
The shadows take over.
After a short time,
They melt together,
Into a big invisible mass,
And finally, just disappear.
At that point,
The night is in control.
Light and color take a much deserved rest.
A first star appears,
The day is done,
Gone the sun.
Rumbling rivers, creeks, and streams.
Water left pure,
From the moment it falls
On the Continental Divide, as rain or snow,
And begins its journey
Down to the oceans.
Some of it goes into the ground.
Some fills my cup.
Some provides the Brook Trout a place to live.
Some gives the Spruces a drink.
Some makes wallows for the elk.
Some creates glaciers.
And some goes back into the sky and falls again.
Up here, the water is guarded for a while,
By the Winds,
The Wind River Mountains that is.
The range of mountains is inhospitable to some,
But beckoning to others.
The place is too rough for roads,
But covered with paths.
People go there,
To hike, fish, climb, camp,
Meander, sit, ponder, and dream.
But few remain–
There are other places
Better suited to
Building, driving, using, living,
And staying.
Besides,
Protecting the water
Is a full time job.
The mountains, forest,
Creeks, and meadows,
Are left free to do
What they do best.
And they do it well.
The water will move on
And nourish the flatlands.
It’ll irrigate corn, bathe babies,
Water lawns, and get purified
For drinking.
One way or another, the water will change
Once it flows beyond
The protection of the Winds–
For better or worse.
But up in this neck of the woods,
All is well for a time.
And the water is clear
Thanks to Pingora, Gannett, and Fremont.
Dinwoody, Lizard Head,
Desolation, and The Sphinx.
Washakie Pass, Titcomb Basin,
Dickinson Park, and The Cirque of the Towers.
Popo Agie River, Deep Creek Lakes,
Mitchell Peak, and Wolf’s Head.
Stough Creek, Three Fork’s Park, Wind River Peak,
And so many more…
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