Through the leafless forest we tread, the gray, vertical landscape interrupted by the green of hemlock and pine. Stopping for a rest, we lie in a clearing, faces upturned to catch the sun's meager warmth. Cool water from canteens and gorp refresh us as we revel in the moment. I take the lead, where I like to be, pushing into the unknown. Piston legs pumping, I transcend the now to wander in other places and other times.
Reality intrudes at the juncture with another trail.
Maps consulted and distances calculated, we plunge down from the ridge top into the valley. Lengthening shadows urge us onward to our destination. We find a perfect site next to a rushing stream amid the soaring hemlocks. Domes and A-frame tents soon spring forth upon the needled floor. Twilight slides down the western sky followed by black night's enfolding mantle.