An old proverb says that the miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water, but to walk on the earth. Does it ring true? We were not given wings nor gills, we were given two legs to stand on and with which to walk this earth. Given my proclivities, it goes without saying that some of my fondest memories are the places where I have walked.
Not surprisingly, the places are not the big city, of which I have been to a few. Rather, it is those out-of-the-way places in the mountains that I can see perfectly in my mind's eye. The middle fork of the Kings River, south slope of the Lone Cone, the Little Fork of the Kern, Jenny Lakes Wilderness, Spanish Lakes and the Garlic Meadows, to name a few. Undoubtedly, a man could see so much more soaring on high, but that we would miss not using the legs God gave us has to greatly outweigh the view from above.
One resolution I have made this year is to get up to the High Lonesome more. To see, in some cases again, those places that very few in their lifetimes are fortunate enough to see. There is a place on the Kings River called Paradise Valley I walked through once and have wanted for years to return. (Check it out at: http://kevingong.com/Hiking/ParadiseValley.html) That is one goal I am setting for this summer.
I want those over whom I still have some influence to know the wild places, those places that man has not tried to "improve." I know that life does not go backward or tarry with yesterday, but in some way the lifestyle of yesterday is what is missing in life as we all know it. Perhaps the slow passage of time on the mount may show just what the good life is or is meant to be. But, this pursuit must be balanced with the knowledge that there is no distance on this earth as far away as yesterday.
Thought gem: angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.
4 comments:
I'm a walker and wonderer too, but please don't deplore those of us that do have wings. The view from above (whether flying low or high) is the freedom that keeps us getting back into the cockpit. 5 to 8 miles out from a mountain top, covered in fresh snow against a bright blue winter sky... that is also cause for wonder and awe. Nothing thrills my soul more than being solo over ground that has not been touched by man and staring, lots of staring at the beauty.
Your Aunt
Are you taking sign-ups? If so I would like to sign-up myself and Kiera, she'll protect us....I almost bought a hiking trail book the other day at borders... inexcusably forgetting who my brother was, man of the wilderness. Ranger. I was wanting to start going up on the weekends for small hikes, what do you think?
Absolutely Gorgeous!! The link you gave made me want to get up and go. Becky and I walked up the trail about a mile in summer of 07 (just after KP's car decided to lock us out on the road down to Cedar Grove). With a little more time, I would thoroughly enjoy visiting that piece of Paradise. I've been to Mirror Lake, which is up and to the north of Roads End. Man, so little time...
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