This week I rode an emotional rollercoaster, and I felt like I had no safety belt to keep my securely locked in place. The week began with yet another bill that seems for the last month we have been hemorrhaging money for state taxes, many home repairs, and car repairs. My son’s truck had work being done and the price ended up $200+ more than expected. After dropping my car off for a simple oil leak and picking his truck up I was soon informed that my simple oil leak also involved a radiator leak and a bill of $1700+. I needed an outlet and the best place for that is the trails.
Friday started well. I met a friend for lunch. This friend recently retired from my employer and though I didn’t know him that well I always enjoyed talking to him and felt we had some things in common with music. I tend to gravitate toward older people (especially men), always welcoming their knowledge and experience of life. This was no exception. Our lunch meeting conversation will stay private, but I did learn some things from him and also through the conversation I began thinking about aspects of my life that not only need reevaluating, but also need to be revisited from time to time. One such aspect is that of LOVE. Michael wrote a wonderful blog on his observations of love.
Friday evening I was again blessed with a nice dinner with some wonderful friends. Gentle conversation, good food, and enjoying each other’s company was the true benefit of the evening. With the help of our very slow waitress, we were awarded the additional time to converse and enjoy the time together.
Saturday morning was when the real stress reliever came. As I pulled off Highway 62 and onto the road headed into the park, I immediately stopped in the middle of the road to take a photo. The photo had a mystique to it that I felt best displayed my mental state. I will post that photo on Instagram. It is one of my favorite photos I have taken, and like life was a spur of the moment decision.
I continued down the park road, past the empty guard shack and was making my way toward the campground. The sun began to break on the horizon and cut through the fog that gave the surrounding woods and eerie yet comfortable feeling. As I traveled slowly down the road I saw a deer only two feet from the road I was traveling. I drove slowly up next to her and rolled own my window. I sat there for close to two minutes in a staring contest with this deer. Like a statue, she didn’t move or blink. If my arms were longer I could have touched her. I reached for my camera, and bam she shot off, ducking back into the forest canopy for protection. I could still see her as I began to move again and she nervously watched me from a distance as I moved on.
I soon found myself on the campground road and I turned right and headed for the trailhead. As I meandered down the road off I could see through a dense set of woods it appeared to be a giant lake or river off in the distance. As I looked closer it was obvious that a combination of the clouds and fog were creating this optical illusion of this white fluffy blanket that hovered around the treetops below me on the ridge.
I arrived at my parking space and soon was joined by my two lovely companions Wendi and Kristin. Both brought their dogs, so our adventure today also included Rusty, Mathis, and Gambit. We grabbed our gear, hooked the dogs to leases and off we went.
As he headed across the parking lot and on to the trail I could not help but notice how each time I visit the area more and more campers and tents are there. This is a sure sign of spring coming and soon these spaces will be full. I also realized that my private hikes, either solo or with a small group will also be a thing of a rarity for the next few months, but today as I soon will realize we had the trail to ourselves.
With winter in full effect still, the trees still showed signs of dormancy, and the path we traveled showed signs of the recent rains the area had experienced. One of the reasons I love this time of year is much more can be seen without the cover of leaves that both the trees and soon the bushes with providing the area. Our journey began on a familiar trail called the Rocky Ridge trail. We snaked our way down the path a few hundred yards before reaching our first intersection. Normally going straight we took the left path this time intending to join the Breeding Ridge trail. This was a trail I had never explored before.
Wendi let Rusty off his lead and he took control of the hike as the alpha dog. He moved ahead on the trail, weaving in and out of the woods on both sides and returned after being called by Wendi. This was a common theme that happened throughout the hike. Rusty, as seen here, has perfect camouflage for the woods and often when he was not moving I’d lose sight of him. Meanwhile, in the back of the line, Kristin was being pulled mainly by Gambit, who has the energy of a puppy which he is. All three dogs were in heaven. The sticks to chew, the smells to smell and the territory to mark, was highly evident today.
As it was, even with the chaos around me, I began to relax and unwind. This is a tonic for my soul that only the woods can give me. As mentioned in a previous blog, I have three true loves, and each has a different calming effect on me. Like smoke in a breeze, the stresses of the week emptied from my brain and I was again at peace. Though conversations were happening I didn’t hear much of what was said. I was not being disrespectful, it is just the place I go when out hiking.
We intersected the Breeden Ridge trail and ascended a hill. The trail took us to the top of the ridge and soon we could hear a roaring creek in the distance. As we approached the three dogs found it the perfect place to get a cool drink and we rested for a bit. Soon we moved on and found ourselves again approaching a beautiful creek that this time was flowing out of the side of the hill below the trail we were walking on. We visited this on the return trip, and the recent rains had provided for some beautiful shots and sounds.
Today’s trek was one that I needed after this stressful week. I cleared my mind, listened when I could to some wonderful conversations and enjoyed the company I kept. One wish I have is that I can continue to do this as long as my body allows. I also hope I can find and keep those good friends I have come to know over the years and gain a few new ones like Michael.
Until next time,
Tim
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