Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

It was too early in the spring for this climb. When my nephew recommended the hike, I agreed with only the expectation of showing him exactly how early it was. Nice and warm at foot of the mountain, we set off in standard spring gear.The deal was that if either got uncomfortable we would turn back. 2 guys in the wilderness each waiting for the other to admit they're uncomfortable. One of us would probably have to die first. As we approached the summit, the sun was shining hard and small groups of clouds were racing across the sky at what appeared to be about fifty feet overhead. With each passing cloud, the snow around us would rapidly freeze, only to thaw with the reemergence of the sun. These cycles started to create a rhythm that you could feel as well as hear. The crackle of the ice forming. The heave of release as each flake of snow let go of it's temporary hold on it's neighbor. The mountain was breathing.