Sunday, November 1, 2009

The Hike

I went up the alpine loop the last day to do so. Noel drove the car up the canyon, I could see that she was nervious her hands tightly clasped to the steering wheel, they had had a bad landslide the day before that toke out large holes parts of the road. For me each turn brought thoughts of fear to my mind, is there a deer around the corner that might jump out?. Is there another car coming at us?, we are in a car that requires plenty of body over the road. The car was given by my friend Marie, it was a gift badly needed.
The exterior has seen better days, the car has taken down some poles that got in its way, interior looks like a car that children had given plenty of there time in, cute blue murals of blue crayon on the roof of the car, and the infamous milk explosion had made its mark and aroma of a well worn family vehicle, and I know with out a shadow of a doubt that Bear Grylls survival show, could survive on what we all have left behind. a survival food any where from, petrified french fries, to left over crumbs from taco bell, and for dessert left over candy that hardened to the carpet. The car gets seven miles to a gallon so a trip like this was a real treat for a Sunday drive, we have learned to drive with the back windows open so that fresh air cleans up whats left.
Nate my big man in the back sure will have a good understanding of women poor guy, he has all of us telling him how things are. Its really big of him to be willing to take he back seat, honestly I don't know how he does it.
We reached the top of the mountain were we got out to look over the view of both sides of the valley. Noell and I had brought our coats and of course Nate had not. He grabbed a sheet from the back of the car to put across his shoulders. As we walked to a small incline the bare white trees of the aspens and the few green cypress trees lined a small path. The birds had all flown south from the cold winter months approaching. The path was black and muddy and steep. Its a small hike but there is a reason I call it butt burner hill. We often think that the goal is in reaching the top so the race began as we began our hike. Both of my kids turned to me and said "OK mom lets go, hurry." Are you kidding! I said, "we just arrived enjoy the view catch your breath", Nate took one quick one "yes mom crisp and cold lets go back". I could see there resistance. I went off the path to the very top were the trees seemed sheared off half way, most had been hit by lighting. I couldn't help but note that those that stand at the top take the hardest beating. What surprised me the most was the grass that had been pressed down by the many deer that found safety just at the edge of these trees.
The kids keep pulling at me "let's go" , I said do you mind if we sing a song they gave me that look like, "ah yeh right you can but I'm not", I then sang "As I Have Loved Love one Another". The silence became thick, the echo of my voice seemed to carry. When I stopped my children seemed so reverenced by the quite peace that could be felt in the air. The orange hues kissed the tops of the mountains and a full white moon rising just at the crest of the eastern sky. The spirit seemed to beacon to all our hearts, Pray. I simply said lets do it, and as each words were spoken the warmth and sweet feeling seemed to surrounded us. Tones echoed through every tree, among the branches at the words of AMEN, came the a small sound of a singular bird. I know that there is a message, one that will linger in my heart this week. Carried on the wings of a tiny bird. What was the song that he was sharing, what was he trying to tell us?
A moment I will not forget. My son spoke as we walked back to the car, of the dream he had just a few weeks before, that the day would come when many would flee to this canyon, the men who would protect those who had made it there would be called the Wastch Mormon Miltia. He saw letter sewed on to the boys shoulders. WWM.

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