Inspired by Timberline Fall by Kathleen Hudson
Dee Hubbard
In the Embrace of Heaven
A NATURAL BEACON, it guided pioneer families to a new life in the mountain west. Now, Longs Peak attracts seekers of a different kind. Like worshippers trekking to a hallowed place they come. MY HEADLAMP ILLUMINATES the trailhead register, and my hand trembles with excitement as I sign in. There, I’ve joined the ranks of others drawn to this historic mountain seeking… what? Solace? Redemption? A vision of perfection in an imperfect world? Maybe adventure, challenge, and a tiny speck of fame? Perhaps even a new destiny revealed? I laugh and shake my head, thinking, you’re too solemn this morning. Lighten up. Most just come to climb the mountain. Today I celebrate my 65th birthday by soloclimbing my first Fourteener, a bloody tough one. Over 60 climbers have died here. I want to savor a blazing red sunrise on the mountain’s East Face, but won’t even see its peak until I reach the cascades of Timberline Falls. Facing me is a vertical mile of elevation gain into thin air. Maybe twelve hours on the mountain. But I’m firm in my
resolve. Already celebrating a different victory… over my own self-doubts… I raise a mittened hand, form a fist of triumph, and pump it at a moonlit sky. My headlamp casts an inquiring shaft of light into the dense forest before me and focuses on a path burrowing ahead like a tunnel. Breathing deeply, I exhale mini clouds of condensation into frigid mountain air and stride forward with methodical steps. The forest closes around me, and I shiver. At what? Not the cold. Something’s missing. There are no external sounds. I hear only my breathing. How rare is that! Impatience nags me, but I’m mindful not to burn too much energy too soon. A slow but steady pace is best. Conserve strength but squander exuberance. Both are possible. Find my natural climbing rhythms and maintain them as long as I can. I have time and elevation goals for each route segment. But, I remind myself, plans and goals aren’t sacred. Don’t deny impulse. True adventure may require changing plans and deferring goals. Inflexibility equals opportunity lost. EKPHRASIS 2022 | 19
