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.
[the_ad id=”13633″]
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.
