Got to Indian Cave State Park around 3:30 Saturday afternoon. Made camp and by 4 or so hit one of the trails. This shot makes it look deceptively easy, and at first we too scoffed at the map's description of "strenuous" trails, thinking it meant only to scare away your average KFC-packin', Bud Light-swillin' Nebraskan.
Pretty soon, though, we stopped laughing and started focusing our energy on forward motion. Surprisingly hilly. I love what that does to me -- both the physical activity itself and the recognition, in intense detail, of what my body is doing. Each muscle concentrating on its task, pulling and reacting, my thighs for once a source not of shame but of power, my lungs expanding and contracting in time with my footsteps, my soundtrack not from an iPod but from the pace of my breath, the crunch of leaves beneath my feet. Rarely am I so focused on a single activity; rarely do I let myself notice so closely exactly what my body is up to.
Later, falling asleep brushed by the breeze, its whispers through the treetops hard to distinguish from ocean's tide. Waking, well-slept, to dappled sunlight and no obligations -- no world outside the immediate vicinity.
Another good hike this morning, four of us this time, finding one brief vertical stretch strangely reminiscent of Bright Angel Trail leading out of the Grand Canyon.
It's a pretty park, and after finding a middle ground between the group tent campgrounds and packing all your gear in for a couple miles or so, we'll camp better next time. I can see myself coming down here a lot this summer -- as a private retreat, just me and my (dad's) tent, or with a group of friends to drink beer and munch Pirate Booty, lit only by the stars and a campfire.
Between all the planting earlier in the week and the ubercalming effect of the past 24 hours in the outdoors, I feel more peaceful and centered than I have in a long, long time. Happy, even, maybe.
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Currently reading:
"Butterfly Burning," Yvonne Vera
(trying to read it, anyway; the writing is really just too pretty ... I can't focus on the action.
3 comments:
Ugh! I tried leaving you this other message, and it never posted. So sad. At any rate, job permitting (permitted I find a job), I'd love to come along camping with you. Your weekend trek sounded so awesome. I'm getting there. The BF worked on my bike yesterday and lectured me about how I should ride again. Baby steps, right?
I feel centered and happy just reading this. And ready to drive out to the park:-)
Well, come on out, y'all!
btw, AJ, great job on the illegal downloading story. Guess that was awhile back, but ... y'know ...
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