Day 17: Because It Was There

Day Seventeen: Because It Was There

6/25/11:

There’s something about arduous physical work under the great outdoor sky that makes a person suddenly want to exclaim that they had once been a nameless clown in a traveling circus; or, that as a child, they’d almost been stampeded to death by a raging bull; or, that they’d really like to spend three months in a silent monastery making cheese and thinking.

At least, that’s what Noah, Yelena, and I talked about during our trek up Kendrick Mountain. There was only minor griping: this dusty switchback trail was nothing at all like the giant rock steps and jumping of the Bill Williams Mountain Trail, and we bopped up and down the eight miles with comparative ease. At the summit, we invaded the watchtower and munched on granola bars, enjoying the respite from the wild, higher altitude winds. From this vantage point, we could make out the San Francisco Peaks over Flagstaff and the bright orange roof of a long barn that we often passed on our way to survey. On Kendrick Mountain itself, the long swathes of trees in the burn area appeared white and naked, silvery shadows beside their hearty green brothers.

On the hike down, my monastery proclamation provoked a debate: I argued responsibility to one’s self while Yelena argued responsibility to other people. Was withdrawing from the world, even to better understand oneself, a selfish act?

Four miles and some strongly rethought and reinforced arguments later, the Kendrick Mountain Trail spilled us out at the trailhead.

I’d learned an incredibly valuable lesson on this hike: arguing, besides being good plain fun, ate up the miles like they were really nothing at all.

Photos: 1. Yelena and Noah near the summit 2. View from Kendrick Mountain