Pack wisely, and no more than you can carry. Absolute necessities. A neat little, dependable tent. A water purifier, a very small stove, fuel; dehydrated food. (Gorp) A first-aid kit, a small towel, change of underwear. A camera.
Haul yourself, and your pack up the slopes, through the root-tortuous mountain trails. Be prepared to clamber, when need be, over fallen boulders. Take the occasional break, and rehydrate yourself. Appreciate your location, above the tree line. Look around, revel in what you see before you. An endless vista.
When you've achieved the height you sought, remove your backpack and rest awhile. Then set up your tent, relax again. Just sit there, and let it all sink in. The cool, clear air. the sound of the glacier well beyond, but yet in clear view, inexorably melting, bit by bit, into the turquoise blue glacial lake below out of which you will, for the few days you stay there, extract the water you need.
See the birds, solitary like you, glide high in the sky above. Watch, from above, as birds dive into the glacial lake. Observe the clouds gathering in the translucent blue sky. Marvel at the wonder of Garibaldi. Be grateful that you have the physical resources and the inner knowledge to insist your body carry you here.
Exult at the landscape, the grandeur, the private moment of
fleeting ownership of all you survey.
c. 2009 J.S. Rosenfeld and R.L. Rosenfeld
No comments:
Post a Comment