like a work of fiction

For one reason or another, as each day passed this week, I was impelled to find appreciation for even the simplest of things and that was rather easy to do.  I didn't want to let any day just slip by especially a magnificently forecasted Saturday. I joined in with a bunch of friends who were escaping the realities of big city life for the day.   At the trail head for Rummel Pass, I stole some time to admire the surrounding scenery and breathe in the mountain air while gearing up.  I was ready to hike into the midst of something surreal, something adventurous, something like a well depicted work of fiction.  It didn't take long to reach that place.  

It started when we arrived at Rummel Lake.  This being my fourth time here, it was my first time to experience the area under some blue sky, with out wind, seeing open water and having warm degrees.  This is my kind of reality!         

We took a little break at the lake before the short ascent to the wide open meadow.

Within a matter of mere minutes, the surrealism set in.

Is this the real life?  Is this just fantasy?

The higher we ascended, the more often I looked back.  

The landscape was wind-swept.  

There was just enough snow settled in areas to add to the drama of this work of fiction.  

This was an amazing place to be today.   The mountainous sidedrops lining the meadow made for such a desolate look and feel.  For split seconds I felt like I was being pulled into the middle of a well written vivid adventure.  All I wanted was to get deeper into it....  

....so off we ventured, further up....

We reached the summit of Rummel Pass.  In the valley below, there was Lost Lake frozen over.  The summit was spacious with views down in front and behind us.  This was our lunch time view.  It was on the calm side for the first little while then, just like that, it wasn't.  

my summit shot 

We made a quick descent from the summit and the wind.  

I checked over my shoulder for a last look. 

You can see the summit cairn on the left.

We made our way down to calmer conditions and to where we slowed our pace to admire the place.  The perfect amount of snow cover mixed with the rockiness & shapeliness made for such a dramatic appearance.  All this only fueled thoughts of.... 

Is this the real life?  Is this just fantasy?

It was like watching a story play out as my friends worked their way along the trail.

What's a story, a fiction, a drama without an interlude.

We took a few minutes to relax and refuel.

We left the meadow and arrived back into the forest where our descent was back to Rummel Lake.  Time for another break, a longer one this time in the sunshine and warmth.  The consistency of the snow changed immensely once the sun hit it.  It was time to remove my microspikes and the snow stuck to them.  I was feeling high today not just from the mountain air and scenery but also from having a few inches of snow stuck to the bottom of my feet.

The lighting here was wonderful.  We lingered long, it seemed folks didn't want to leave.  Leaving would mean hiking out of fiction back into true reality.  But, all stories have an ending.  I was beginning to feel played out and ready to make our way down the last few kilometers to the trail head.

We wrote quite an original work of fiction today. 

What a fun group of authors I got to share this day with.  

Here's to you...

...a standing ovation and "BRAVO" !