Day 5, August 2
Cloud’s
Rest, indeed. Resting among the clouds after an intense climb straight uphill
to 9,926 feet above sea level. We earned these views today. All the way up we
meandered past stunning mountain views and now we sit at the peak of peaks. It
is a 360 degree panorama that puts one in what I like to call a “Wilderness
Trance”. You could just sit and stare for a day, or thirty. Religious
adjectives abound.
I sat for well over an hour just
admiring the magnificence surrounding me. In every direction were postcard
views. But you have to earn these divine vistas. They cannot be gained cheaply
or without effort. One reason I have very mixed emotions about the accessibility
of so many of these holy places… with ease of access comes laziness, comes
irresponsibility, comes the despoiling of these places. Look no further than
our first evening at Glacier Point. There is a paved road that leads right to
it. So the fools who thought it humorous to urinate over the ledge had to make
no effort at all to gain that sacred spot, and clearly they had no
comprehension of where they were (and, in my opinion, therefore had no right to
be there.) If, out of laziness or fear, you cannot make the journey to reach
these places where the clouds rest, than perhaps you do not deserve the
awe-inspiring views and sense of peace that they grant their humble visitors. A
vision quest is exactly that. A quest. You must seek it. You must push yourself
and open your senses to the wonder of the world around you. It cannot and will
not come cheaply.
It
is hard to leave these places. I have to force myself to move on. But slowly we
continued down, towards the Valley below, looking for a spot to sleep for this
final evening of the grand Ahwahnee adventure. From the clouds, I had spotted a
nice clearing that seemed to jut out on some granite several hundred feet
below, and sure enough right off the main trail was a marvelous campsite almost
literally on the edge of the mountain. One of those “wow” moments. To the west,
Little Yosemite and Yosemite Valley. To the east, Lake Merced and the unending
valleys and canyons. Above us, Cloud’s Rest and pure, perfect Sierra blue.
Around us, solitude. Of all the nearly perfect campsites we had yet
encountered, it was impossible to beat this one. As the sun set, this fact was
further demonstrated as the western sky just glowed red and pink hues off Half
Dome, North Dome, Basket Dome. We sat “hushed as devout worshippers” and
watched our final Yosemite sunset fade into the night. The full moon rose
behind the dimming glow of the eastern peaks. I’m not sure how I’ll ever settle
for anything less again after a Summer full of these profound, daily
experiences. Why, oh why do we forsake this for urban madness?
Letting
go and leaving. Thoughts for the day… it is hard to let go of and leave the
things and the places you hold dear. But something else I’m beginning to
understand up here searching for visions… the path ahead continues ever onward.
Whether or not you choose to continue is
entirely up to you. No matter how much I did not want to leave the holy places
I had visited, I had to… obviously. Staying there out of stubbornness or fear
or fatigue would mean the end of more than just my little backcountry
sauntering. Like many things in life, que no? The path continues,
despite our temporary inability to see it through the obstacles in front of us.
But up here in the clouds, one’s vision begins to clear. Places far ahead in
the distance become clear. Hidden paths far beyond your immediate sight lead
you miraculous, beautiful places. Like many things in life, que no?
No comments:
Post a Comment