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Aug 27, 2004 The sun was shining high above in the sky. The clouds were offering a gentle, cooling dullness to the afternoon glare, and a breeze filtered through the canyon. At least it was like that when we started. A recent weekend excursion took me and my dad on a day hiking trip to Table Mountain in the Grand Teton Range. It was a very fun, very scenic, and yes, very brutal trip, which i will never forget. Before an hour had passed, the clouds thickened and littered the canyon with a sweet-scented, cooling rain, which passed ten minutes later. We had holed up beneath a towering pine tree when the rain started, something i have learned can be very dangerous in thunderstorms, but there was no lightning and we stayed dry. Ten minutes after we got moving again, the rain stated again, and we just walked in it. The second time the rain picked up to a more intense pace, we found ourselves sitting on big granite rocks, again underneath a small set of pine trees. This time, when the rain tapered off, we started again, and before we took twenty steps, we looked up the mountain and saw vivid white streaks tearing downward from the slopes of the mountains. So, thinking that perhaps it wasn't a good idea to start again, we took giant running strides to our last shelter to avoid the pelting of the hail. In some time, the rain went away and we enjoyed our journey toward the top. On the way up, we learned the hard way that perhaps when you are out of shape, climmbing steep mountains is not the funnest thing to do. The trail took dozens of switchbacks up the steep walls of the canyon and was littered with thousands of rocks, from the tinies pebbles in gravel to massive, space- eating boulders. When we reached the climax of our journey, which, in this case, was a resting spot on the ridge line just short of Table Mountain, we stopped, drank water, ate granola, and then started the long venture back. If the trip up was so exhausing, let me make you aware that the trip down is even more exhausting. When traveling around big boulders and placing each footstep carefully, so as to avoid tumbling down the rocky slopes of the mounain, it gets very exerting trying to stop your momentum from carrying you too fast. Because i didn't learn this in physics class, i had to learn it in the wilderness. Though the pain was excruciating and unpleasant, we had a very good time on our adventure to the top of Table Mountain. As i have alluded to before, it was a very scenic trip, complete with breathtaking views of the Grand Teton and entourage of other massive mountains. Next time, we should be better prepared and in better shape. Perhaps we will even have learned to bring one of those neat portable water purifiers to counter the never-ending shortage of bottled water. Needless to say, it was a great time, and we will be sure to try it again someday, my dad and I. Just us and our aging, crumbling bones. ------------ Brad Mathews is the author of three books, a collection entitled "Things Wrapped in Plastic," a novel called "Vacancy," and his third book, another novel, "Rain Dance." Mathews currently resides in his hometown of Idaho Falls, Idaho with his family. Visit the official Brad Mathews website at www.bradlandusa.com Email: bradforshow1@hotmail.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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