**Right now a fire has closed off the main road in and out of Kennedy Meadows. It was 800 acres last night and jumped the road this morning. It is over 1000 acres now as of 10:15a on 6/2/16. Apparently 500 more firefighters are en route to the fire east of our position.
*** Luckily we weren't affected by the fire but many other hikers had to re route and or hold tight in towns before the fire. As I post this on 6/8/16 I have heard that they reopened the trail
Magic, a word that can bring so much joy to people. I can remember going to a magic show as a child and being the one who got chosen to be the participant in the trick. I was so excited that during the trick ( where two ropes somehow became one rope when tied around me ) that I couldn't speak. The magician asked my name and I couldn't speak because of the excitement. All I could do was give a shy smile and nod.
Today I get to think back to the last 700 miles and the experiences I will take going forward. How do you summarize thousands upon thousands of steps through various ecosystems, passes, valleys, dirt roads, old burns and many other places? I remember the heat, the lack of shade, the slight breeze that would disappear for hours, the hunger at all times of day and times all you wanted was a flat, soft spot on the ground to nap.
Everyone of the moments the last 700 miles has benefited me. Sure I can complain buy what's the point? Each day presented new learning experiences and I'm happy to have done every step. We have to earn the Sierras is what I kept telling myself. As you hike through the desert though you begin to appreciate the beauty it holds. It has taught me a lot about looking beyond the surface of the earth. This was most evident as I had an interaction with a snake the other day slithering inches by me as I snacked along the trail.
Shooting stars, desert sunsets, hummingbirds fluttering around you as you filter water. It might not seem like much but simple moments out on the trail have brought it all into perspective. Our wild places are magical and you can have many magical moments when you least expect them.
It has been during some of the hottest sections, hungriest moments and times when the only thing you craved was a soda that a little bit of magic happened. We've been fortunate enough to come across Trail Angels who have had cold drinks and snacks at some of the hardest sections of the desert. How can I describe the feeling of turning the corner and seeing someone with a cooler with ice cold drinks? Getting a hitchhike to town or from town too is a feeling that just makes you appreciate that there are good people everywhere.
Magic, it may seem like just a word. I am one to say it is out there, whether in a top hat or at the bottom of a mountain pass. Maybe it is just a feeling, but you'll know it when you experience it.
No comments:
Post a Comment