I pull my beanie down over my ears and smile at the frosty air that comes out of my mouth. It’s a quiet morning at the Window Rock trailhead, just how I prefer. I get my blood pumping as I start the five-mile journey to the Window. The stillness of the forest makes it easier to listen for larger creatures that may be foraging in the bush.
A couple of girls are hiking ahead of me. I slow down my pace so I’m not intruding. They suddenly stop and signal to me with their hands of something in the bush. My heart races as I scour the landscape for a bear or mountain lion, but then see the familiar head of a deer before it disappears. We all breathe a sigh of relief as the girls let me pass them. I carry onward.
I remember how happy I was on this day, thinking about the possibilities that lay ahead of me for 2018. Intimacy and dreams is the motto I tell SeaBee I will live by. It’s funny how quickly things can change, but I am still holding fast and true to this motto, just without her.
As the canyon narrows the rocks become slicker, and I focus all of my attention on not twisting an ankle. I crag and crawl my way closer and closer to the Window.
Finally I arrive. To get to the actual view of the Window, one must literally slide down the rock. I realize that if I’m not careful, I could slide right over the edge and see the view from the Window as my body falls a couple thousand feet. I precariously edge my way down, and the end view makes it all worth it.
I sit with my buddy Stretch Armstrong and enjoy a morning snack. The two girls eventually make it down as well, and hold each other in a loving embrace as I take their picture.
Intimacy and Dreams indeed. The clarity of this phrase will be my mantra in the New Year, because you never know if tomorrow Wendy you’re going to die.
