The aspens up Hurricane Creek are slowly turning. They look as if someone has dipped them in a pot of molten gold. I love this time of year on this trail, with an icing of snow across the peaks and a brisk sunny breeze.
I strapped on my Nathan hydration vest (LOVE) for a short power hike to Slickrock and back. My legs felt springy after a day of rest and a leisurely bike ride. I thought about running but I wanted more time to think than running this trail allows, where I have to watch my footing at all times or faceplant.
A big change is coming in my life. I've taken a new job which will take me out of these mountains and into the world, although I get to work from home (yay, yoga pants at work!). This new job will be national in scope, and I hope I can make a difference to a lot of places, not just one. I won't miss the screamers, the supervision, or the gatekeepers who blindly follow a rule book, placing obstacles in the path of getting things done.
But still. I think that in order to really be part of your backyard you have to put in the time to work there, and I don't mean backpacking or running. In this job as in all my previous ones, I swung a pulaski and pulled a misery whip, clearing trails. I cleaned toilets. I met with outfitters to look at campsites. I hauled trash out of the wilderness left by the clueless and the uncaring. Until you put in a few hours of work, you are just passing through. You have no idea what the place is about. I don't like losing that connection, or working with a small group of dedicated people on the ground, doing actual physical labor.
So when the time is right I want to start a "Friends" group that will adopt this wilderness and give it a voice. This place has given me so much. I want to give back.
In the end, though, change keeps you young. I don't want to be 62 and shoehorned into the same cubicle. I don't want to grow old at work, and the surest way to do that is to take chances. So I throw my eggs in one basket. I take the leap. I'll let you know how it turns out.
4 comments:
I'm glad you love that running pack, I can't believe I spent as much time as I did in the other one that didn't fit well at all. I noticed on mine today that it pills if I wear a really thin tech shirt. So I'm reserving one or two shirts to wear with it and let the pack eat it up.
Are you diving into writing full-time? Whatever the new job is, I hope it's great! Working from home in PJs, yeah!!!
Scary AND good! You've got that right...love your view of your wilderness "on the ground" and from a distance. The Friends group is a great idea and one who knows the Eagle Cap intimately is the one to spark it. Bon voyage!
Best of luck Mary!
I look forward to hearing how the new gig is.
I hope it works wonderfully for you.
A hike up to Slickrock sounds nice, I may just need to get there and do that myself.
Mariah
You have such an awesome attitude.
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