I want to go back to this evening. Back to a moment when I could sleep under the stars and not lose my life completely, though I could lose myself and regret absolutely nothing. What a delight it was to have friends nearby, joking and saying things that wouldn’t make sense at any other time than one in the morning on the side of a mountain. Nothing needed to make sense and nothing was questioned. When in doubt, nothing needed to be said.
I can still recall the feel of the rocks, dusty and light beneath my fingertips. While waiting for the camera to process its photos, I ran my hands along the jagged, rough Rainier rocks that encircled my little square of comfort. The air was calm in our area, not quite able to reach the flattened top of the hill with any velocity that mattered. Summer temperatures were soothing us to sleep as our talk grew quieter and more relaxed.
There was that moment when one of our group suggested heading back. How I wish I had opted out of that decision, chosen instead to remain under those clear skies, threatened only by the hazy destruction of our view brought by wildfires that crept ever closer to our hidden refuge. What I wouldn’t give to wake up to a hazy, red sunrise in lieu of a morning spent regretting this choice...
