Jessie and I met at the Eklutna Lake parking lot just after 11am. Our goal was to do a quick five mile hike on the Twin Peaks trail. I thought I’d be home around 3pm. As with all adventures truly great, it didn’t go as planned. It was one of those gorgeous Alaskan days. The colors cast by jewel blues and greens that relieve me. |
Our hike turned into a climb after the second bench, which is the end of the Twin Peaks trail. Jessie and I, not clear about where the twin peaks trail ended, debated whether to go left or right. At the fork in the road, we decided to go high. The climb towards Pepper Peak got confusing because it’s easy to take a game trail. We switch-backed and scrambled-up the spongy tundra until the rain clouds and distant thunder shooed us home.
Taking the Waters I went to investigate a gently flowing stream and discovered that it was trickling up from the massive rock we were climbing. The water gurgled up and out, then down onto smaller rocks and then into finer rocks that pooled the water so slightly. Next, the history of “taking the waters” trickled from the Romans into my palms, and I splashed wellness on my face. Eyes closed, coating my flaming cheeks, the cold water squeezed a gasp from my lips. I splashed again and gasped again, and again, and again. This, with such certainty, wells up in me now: So much can be drawn from words. We go to the forest, for rest. |