Remembering
How do you record, remember, and express the variety of experiences and encounters on the PCT? Today many hikers post on YouTube or create blog sites that they maintain before, during, and after their hike. For me the approach began with keeping a journal and taking pictures. Over time that effort has included writing haiku's or simple free verse to try to capture what I was seeing and experiencing.
Looking back at a few of those journals I have revisited some of those creative attempts at recalling a place, time, or experience. The place, time, and experience I would like to return to is a trip from July and August 2012 hiking the PCT and JMT from Tuolumne Meadows to Whitney Portal. Once again, this was a hike with my dear friends and longtime hiking partners Rees Hughes and Jim Peacock.
Following are a series of haiku's from this trip. These were inspired from an earlier PCT hike Rees and I had done with our wives and two of our daughters a couple of years prior. That trip and those poems were published in the Oregon/Washington volume of The Pacific Crest Trailside Reader under the title of ‘Walking in 5-7-5′.
Time has come now
Rhythms return spirits high
Trail welcomes us
After arriving at Ruby Lake I attempted to reflect on the day. One thing that is not at all unusual along this stretch of the PCT are pack horses and equestrian hikers.
Sweet smell of horses
They pass before us, we know
Boot prints over past hoof prints
After a few days on the trail a rhythm gets established. Near Red’s Meadow these two reflections found their way to the page.
JMT up, up
PCT down, up, down, up
JMT down, down
We sit, chat, laugh, think
Savoring chocolate bits
Remember this time
So often when we are alone in the surrounding nature it comes to mind, are we the first? Has anyone notice this place? This haiku tries to note that wondering.
Vanilla pine smell
Ponderosas touch blue sky
Who knows about this?
Hiking with Jim and Rees is one of the joys of my life. After days together we often settle on similar feelings of appreciation for being together. These last two haiku’s attempt to mark both what we feel and what we see and how we hold those close.
How can this happen?
Three from different places
Same feeling, same heart
Alpen glow shines bright
Is it rose or orange or brick?
Our memories know
As I have shared these now I am transported back to that time and those places. My hope is you may have joined me there.
