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by T. Duren Jones
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Hey, Take a Hike! |
Are you troubled? Stressed out? Worried? Take a hike. |
“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”
—Rachel Carson It was so quiet in the forest, except for the woodland creatures greeting the dawn. Birds sang their morning songs and squirrels barked warnings of my arrival. Soft light intermittently broke through the clouds and pine branches, stenciling the trail still wet from the rain the previous night. The fir trees occasionally shared the mountainside with lime-green aspen groves, the leaves of which twinkled moist in a light breeze. The trail became more rugged and less distinct. I found my way by connecting the dots of rock cairns. I continued upward, paralleling a bubbling brook. Cool water cascaded over small falls, sometimes coming to rest in tranquil pools. It was so peaceful here. I couldn’t help but pause and think how crazy, unsettled, chaotic, and upside-down the world seemed at times. I felt so removed from all that noise and chaos as I sat for a moment in the woods. |
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After nearly four miles, I broke the tree line and continued up a rocky field to a large grassy saddle. To my right, a half mile away and still 500 feet higher, was my goal of the stacked boulder summit of Sentinel Point (12,500 ft.), guarding the west slope of Pikes Peak on my left. For my effort, I was rewarded jaw-dropping, 360-degree views.
Having scrambled to the top of the pile, I carefully turned a full circle. A Colorado spectrum blue sky met velveted ridges dotted with red-tan boulders, some the size of camper trailers. Clouds alternately framed and blanketed Pikes Peak. Black birds caught an updraft and floated by cliff edges. I breathed in slowly. It’s hard not to be touched deep in the soul viewing a scene like this. Just wondrous. Are you troubled? Stressed out? Worried? Take a hike. Are you in need of calm? Quiet? Clarity? Take a hike. I have to think, too, that if the chaos makers, the mean people, the haters, the arrogant, the condescending, the religious extremists, politicians, those with road rage, and the bullies would all just take a hike, it would do them a world of good, and it would make the world a better place. Just go take a hike. See photos of this trip. More adventures |