“Love of the wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth which bore us and sustains us, the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need – if only we had eyes to see.” – Edward Abbey
You can only know from experience, and collectively, the worst ones teach you the most. There is just something about homo sapiens – we like to learn the hard way.
Something I have learned the hard way, repeatedly – good hiking partners are hard to find.
Let me tell you something, internets. If meno invites you on a hike? You better go…
Stepping out of my sister’s apartment on Capitol Hill, I could tell the weather was going to be perfect. Just a touch of crispness in the morning air as I walked to the bus stop. The truly beautiful part of all this is that I just had to show up in my hiking gear and boots. My lovely hostess had packed a lunch, and furnished a pack for my water and snacks, and even provided me with a hiking pole. The bad? I forgot my camera…
During our ascent, we covered topics of great social and political import. In the meantime, we cast occasional glances at this:
Once we rounded the corner and approached the lake, I had a brief fantasy about actually getting into the water. Empirical tests proved this would be a GREAT idea if I were, say, an Arctic sea creature of some type.
While eating lunch, we were joined by a solitary figure.
After dipping our toes in the ice bath, sunning, and rescuing a bar of chocolate from a liquid, melted death (we are heroes, really), it was time to return to civilization, which was really not that far off the whole time.
Behold – I-90
There is a lot of advice out there about what criteria is important when choosing a hiking partner. Let me share a secret with you.
Move “brings cooler with Mike’s Hard Lemonade for post-trip refreshment” straight to the top of your list.
Trust me on this.
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October 23, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Renee
Raven,
I was excited to see a new entry. When will you be traveling next?