Of Mountain Solitude

--Sunset to Sunrise--

Boulder River Wilderness

Ken J. McLeod ©

The terrain around me consisted of steep rugged granite, dwarf alpine firs, and a continuous maze of heather. I could see some town lights far below, but they were very faint. I was completely alone here on this peak.....really alone! Nowhere could be heard of the clamor coming from the world below. Darkness began to engulf me and the silence of the Indian summer night had a distinct feel of fall about it, for it was crisp and dank much like autumn always is. A chilly breeze rolled up the flanks of the mountain and crested the ridge to the peak where I sat. It became relentless, never-ending, and the cold breath from it settled into my hands and toes.

My eyes became heavy and I fought to keep them open for the splendid view and the beauty of the night. I vowed to stay awake to feel the night, to be apart of it from its beginning to the end......

As the night pressed, I gazed to the stars above, and my thoughts wandered to such things as: life on other planets, on space travel, man and his origin, of the people I've known, of the women in my life; some were beautiful lovers. Hour after hour I contemplated the universe and other worldly things. And without noticing, the wee hours of dawn whispered in, the darkness began to fade, and constellations like Hercules, Cassiopeia and Perseus no longer seemed as mighty. The sun had not yet risen, but it was as if the world was being born, and I was witnessing its birth.

As I lay in my hollow I could not help but think, I should not want to live without wilderness and wild creatures in my life. Then, Thoreau's words came to mind....."the beauty of America is a national possession, the preservation of this heritage is everybody's affair."

The above excerpts were written in 1985 while on an overnight solo trek without tent or sleeping bag in the Boulder Rv. Wilderness near Mt. Bullon and Three Fingers Mtn. The article was published in Pack & Paddle in 1994, however several of the above lines were omitted in editing, thus I give you portions of the original text.

KJM

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