Heavier and colder air sinking below peak after peak within the San Gabriel mountain range. A cascading scene of mist and mountain from one range to the next. From front-country to the back-country wilderness, elevation changes accompany the settling of heavier air carrying particles of moisture.
Throughout the heights of the San Gabriel Mountains, there are places of off-trail access with careful navigation and planning. There are numerous ridges, peaks, canyons, and valleys that lead you from destination to destination. Along the way, there are unforgettable features that capture the imagination.
The depths of this gentle canyon are blanketed with chaparral, granite, and stone. Within the San Gabriel mountains the Winter gives way to Spring and what comes forth is bountiful and lush vegetation.
All the while from the trailhead, the route was forested without any openings before reaching the top of Mitchell Peak. A gentle and easy-going trail, albeit less traveled and more remote on the Western side of the Sierra. To get to the trailhead, it was necessary to drive for miles on a backcountry dirt road. Not possible to reach in a standard passenger vehicle. The effort, the time, and the cost of reaching this place were completely worthwhile because of the accomplishment and the memories sure to follow.
Sometimes, while on the march to your chosen place and destination, there are these wilderness pockets open to curiosity. A clearing among many that aren’t all that remarkable, but significant nonetheless. Largely because of what grows there. What nature is doing there and how it contributes to life by shaping the character of the forest. Each hidden place in full view is a canvas filled with meaning and beauty.
There are times while up high, you just don’t know where you’re going to end up. You know where you’re heading, but what lies in the distance along the way is uncertain. Is there a drop off? Will you become stymied? Is there dense thicket? Will you have to turn back or climb more? Are you on the right track? When up high with such a distance in view, the fear is exhilarating. It is during these times of exploration and pursuit that I feel most alive. And this answers many questions about life, who I am and where I am going in general.
Traversing a ridge to a path of uncertainty.
While under tree cover, or at lower elevations along the terrain, you can’t really always see your destination. From navigation and planning, you improve the possibility of reaching your prize. Yet the best perspective is to keep in mind that the trip is about the journey and the time to get there. As much as it is about the destination to mark a meaningful achievement. Your wilderness experience is what you make of it.
The way to go is obvious. Even though the way to go is very far out on a remote trail, it genuinely feels like you’re going somewhere. What’s on the other side of the path isn’t really as relevant. As compared to where you’re at at the moment. Step by step all but missed getting where you’re going. Only to look back and see where it is you’ve passed. And what it is you’ve missed.
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