The training hikes are always very well-run. Designed to foster camaraderie amongst all of us who will be climbing together, no pets, spouses, friends or significant others are allowed. This has worked very nicely, allowing us to bond and make friendships instead of having people pair up and coccoon amongst each other. It tends to make for rather social climbs, and it was for that reason that my second hike up to Angel's Rest was a very interesting experience in that it was the diametric opposite of the previous week's hike; a solitary, almost meditational experience.
One advantage of hiking in a group that meets at a predetermined time and location is the incentive to get out of bed at 6AM on a weekend. Without the benefit of external motivation, I didn't make it to the trailhead until early afternoon. Whereas the first hike was a misty early morning affair with soft morning light, this was a bright noontime climb, and a lot warmer than before. The woods seemed more lush with the warm weather, and I passed some babbling brooks and mossy woods as I started climbing.
When you get to the top of Angel's Rest, before the dropoff there are several rocks that jut out just off the trail. In and on said rocks are lots of little perches and comfortable spots that people usually occupy to relax in, eat, drink or just look out over the woods and river below. As I approached the rocks, I noticed two young women sitting on top of one of them, in lotus position, facing the warm sun and meditating with their eyes closed. The sun was starting to dip towards the west, bathing them in golden light. They looked very peaceful. I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to sit up on top of the mountain and do the same. I picked a perch, ate and drank, and cleared my mind, looking out over the sweeping vistas of the gorge.
The sun was slowly starting to sink towards the horizon and the air developed a cool bite that was the signal to start climbing down. The clear day was slowly becoming a hazy afternoon, and as the sun descended the gorge became awash with golden light, which was further diffused by the haze to create a warm, almost milky landscape around me. As I walked down the path, I could see the reflection of the sun moving across the surface of the water. My mind clear and my mood mellow I slowly floated down the path stopping to take an occasional snapshot and track the sun's path across the uncharacteristically still river.
As I made my way through the section of the trail that wound through the charred trees I heard something moving in the grass and looked over and saw two snakes coiled together. They froze as I approached. I like to think that their fear instincts were actually courtesy, stopping their movement to let me photograph them in the rapidly vanishing light. After a couple of minutes, they slithered away, and when I turned around I was treated to the beginning of a gorgeous sunset through the trunks of the burned trees, which accompanied me all the way down.
If this entry seems to be on the aesthetic side to you, you're correct. A solo hike of the same route I did with the group previously was very much an aesthetic experience. I am glad to say that it was physically easier to get up there the second time, but it was also very rewarding to focus on the mountain and the zen aspect of being surrounded by the nature modern man spends a lot of time insulating himself from. Rather than just using the mountain as a sort of gym it was healthy to take it all in, from the sights and sounds to the smells of the woods, the breezes and temperature fluctuations, the patterns in the trees and the textures under foot. Maybe it sounds hokey, but to a city dweller like myself it's something that is missing in my daily life and graciously appreciated whenever it can be experienced.
I came home tired and elated and in a wonderful, mellow mood for the rest of the evening.
That's it for this entry. Stay tuned for more, coming up tomorrow!
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