Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Wild places and friendship and laughter. Miles of ups and downs with long stretches of trail meandering under the trees. A wet bandana to cool my neck. Contemplation. Conversation. Ever changing terrain. The delicate sun-kissed perfection of a Columbia Lilly in a high mountain meadow. Switchbacks up and endlessly up to a catch-your-breath-view from the top. That high, humbling moment of awe that lives somewhere deeply in us all.

Hot afternoons at camp and long moments of quiet. A background of birdsong. Plunging in cold mountain lakes. Hot tea by the water’s edge as the sun sinks into the clouds gathering on craggy peaks. Late night card games on a dusty tarp under the stars. Hot coffee with a rock behind my back as the morning sun slowly warms the waking earth. Gratitude for Summertime. Grounded in simplicity. This is where my soul is most at home.