(Wildflowers with Tetons)Sabine wrote something really beautiful in one of her comments "i wish you luck though on finding a few days of solitude, i think that would be the icing on the cake, something very different from what we are all used to, this constant buzz around us."
Have been trying to escape that 'constant buzz' and find some solitude in the buzzing of insects and the electrifying hum of nature at work. Unfortunately, the Tetons seem to be the mecca for motor boats, RVs with loud generators, sun burnt men in fast monster trucks (how emasculating it would be to drive the speed limit in a compact car!), and a busy highway full of people who believe they can 'experience' nature simply by stopping at one of the numerous scenic turnouts and lookouts that dot Fwy 89. Hard to wake up to these sounds every morning (especially as my neighbors have brought along with them a huge RV, a gaggle of kids with noisy toys, and what look like two HUGE generator powered stoves) but thankfully, it's fairly easy to escape once I step onto a trail that extends beyond 200 feet to the nearest postcard op.
The hiking here is great and the trails, for the most part, solitary. The altitude really gets me winded by about the 3rd mile (all those great Portland microbrews and my new beer belly might also have something to do with it), but am making a concerted effort to keep at it. Love that everything else fades away once you get a few miles into a forest or a thousand feet or so up a mountain. Life just seems simpler and all the rest inconsequential. Came across a herd of 11 mule deer (atleast, that's what this city girl thinks they were) grazing in a meadow while hiking yesterday morning. Found a small tree with a bit of shade, parked myself for an hour to observe and read (Neruda's "Odas elementales" and Machado's "Soledades"). Nice reward for waking up early and getting my lazy butt on a trail!
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2 comments:
Juveria:
Here's to solitude and places still beyond the motor. Loved your beer belly and getting you butt out bed comments.
If campground noise gets too bad, I've been known to remove a spark plug from a generator for the common good. On one trip, everybody in the campground grew more than a little weary of one guy completely hooked on modern conveniences. He was over the top and ran his generator virtually the entire day and on through the night until 2am in order to watch satellite TV. After numerous kind requests and sleepless nights, his generator mysteriously stopped working for a while.
Oh, the sweet sound of silence. No damage to his equipment and a mild lesson in sensitivity. Left the spark plug on his door step when we departed. I have never done anything like that before or since, but it was definitely appropriate to the situation. (wink, wink)
Cuando regresas, quiero oir un poco sobre los libros que estas leyendo durante tu aventura. Estoy interesado.
Que Dios te bendiga con el soledad, la belleza, unas amistades, y experiencias profundas.
Cuidate mucho:
Kevin
Juveria! You should pull an Amy Sedaris and adopt an imaginary monkey that accompanies you on your adventure. Just kidding. I've been hit with an annoying illness- I tried "pushing it" and had to go back a few days in the recovery process- grrrr... it's great to read about peace, serenity, and fortitude. Now all your blog needs is an imaginary monkey. Again,just kidding. Take care- Did you make it to a rodeo?
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