the day hike scene

Sitting atop Craggy Pinnacle and the sun creeping behind me feel it's warmth.  Almost 10am, took about two and a half, three hours from the falls; boy I's up early this morning...  Near four thirty or five snapped wide awake and thought "a hike it is!"  Up early refreshed seeing as how having nursed the bonfire to sleep not long after sundown the evening before.  Took a minute to stare into the ember constellations glowing, then into the tent for reading adventures by headlamp, then drifting off before the third song.  Anyway up in the cold quiet dark of moonlight and clear thoughts, down to the waterfall for fresh water filling cups and bottles all - all the while darting accusing headlight this way and that toward every night noise expecting hungry staring eyes watching.  And shhh the otherworldy sound of two owls conversing somewhere perched above.  Packing up camp as the sky begins to bright - no sun yet - just that ever subtle illumination of the world that goes unnoticed from minute to minute till suddenly you realize "oh!  the cows need a milking..."  Strung my rucksack in a tree and I was off uphill alive boots clomping blood pumping eyes wide and gaining elevation.  Over fallen logs through creeks and catching all cobwebs every few feet of trail calling all morning spiders.  Butterflies up with the sun lazy recklessly bumping into me no idea.  Recognizing different families of greenery living at different heights along the mountain.  Find me chanting mantras unknowingly bits of songs and lost conversations who knows where they come.  Moving always forward always higher and generally falling daze to the foot to foot trance, all the while wondering who's out there staring back.

And now, after all this, sitting atop the Eastern United States - out of food, low on water and ready for a sun-nap such as these rocks of ages must be so accustomed.