Mountainous Trails (Part 1)

One person dreamed of it, and soon it was three people's dream-

Elk hunting and camping for a week in the Rocky Mountains.

My three brothers, Gary, Dennis, and Jeremy, met up with me in the beautiful state of Colorado, where I was staying with my cousin and her little family.

I wanted to go hunting with them at least one day, just to see what it was like! So, that Saturday afternoon after they arrived, Gary, Dennis, and I headed out.

 (Jeremy didn't go that day because he wasn't feeling well.) 

                                            

                                                                     

 [breathtaking country]

   [all packed up and ready to hike]

It turned out to be a hike that we didn't expect. Not really anyway. Yeah, they had told us that we would need to stop a lot to drink water and to catch our breath because of the thin air. 

They said the absolute truth.

 I hadn't ever before hiked such terrain for that length of time, and definitely not with a load on my back!

My pack started digging into my shoulders.

My used-to-flipflops feet ached in my hiking boots.

We looked at each other, shook our heads, and said,

"This is craziness!"

An hour rolled by, and still we walked on, excitement pushing us. 

The mountains kept getting more beautiful, breathtaking.

I was in awe of the Great Artist.

Finally, we got to the place where the trails split. The guys got their binoculars out and found a good place for us to sit and look for elk and a good place for them to set up camp the following Monday.

 [looking on the map]

They spotted a pine tree waaayyyyy out there that was supposed to be a good place to hunt the rest of the daylight hours. 

Problem #1...  

 The only way to get there was climbing a

 r.o.c.k.y., steep mountainside. 

Of course, we would conquer that problem. We had come much too far to stop!

But, Problem #2...

The mountainside ended up being twice as steep as it looked!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. Ignore the backpack straps. Ignore the screaming muscles.

Another step. Look down at the fork where we started.

Grab a hold on a bush and pull yourself up. Think positive. Laugh for just because. Think positive. 

Ignore the backpack straps. Ignore the screaming muscles. 

One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. 

It became like a rhythm.

After 45 minutes of climbing like that, we found a spot that would do just as good, if not better than that far-off pine tree. With relief, we settled as best as we could on the steep, rocky ground.

I could have fallen asleep.

The stillness, so high (9,000ft. above sea level) in the mountains, rang deafeningly in my ears. Only the sound of an occasional bird call shattered the quiet. A couple of times, I caught myself holding my breath, unconsciously, for a long time. 

It seemed like the world had stopped. Just like that.

All that stretched out before me was mountains and trees and

 blue sky! And lots of it.

Sadly, only mule deer dared show their faces that day.

I was sitting there, drinking in the wild beauty, when I knew that I would be back. That that day wasn't going to be the one and only day that I went elk hunting. No, as steep, rugged, rough, and painful it would be, these mountains would feel my presence again.

And it would be for 6 days and nights, and not a minute less than my brothers! I would breathe in that fresh, mountain air for just as long as they would. I would eat soup everyday too, even if I got tired of it. I would shoot that bear if he came roaring into camp. 

I would help them pack that elk down to the 

very bottom of the mountains. 

I would grit my teeth and share the load. 

  

I would live the dream alongside them, because... 

[The view to the right of where we sat.]

...I had fallen in love with those wild, beautiful, rugged

 Rocky Mountains.... and just one day wasn't going to be enough.

.........................................(to be continued).......................................