Greeting the Sunshine-Cassie Lee
Recounting Our Sunrise Hike to the Peak of Mt. Dunn - Rocky Mountain Way
 "Oh my gosh," I blurt, trying to hide the fear in my voice. "That's a long way down!" I peek down at the sensational greens of the valley below me lit up by the brilliant moon. I lose my concentration in awe of the beauty that surrounds me. I snap back into reality and begin to keep moving across the rock-covered mountain. Smiling, I look at my group -- or, more accurately, my 'family' -- and continue on as they feed me words of encouragement, my fuel to keep me moving.
We reach a large rock that leads up to the mountain's peak. There I stand, gazing up at the summit anxiously, as the dawn cracks and begins to fill the heavenly Colorado sky. I peer down at my dirty, worn hiking boots tightly tied onto my scraped, earth-ridden legs. Someone grabs my attention, and at last we attempt our summit. After half an hour of climbing and panting, it gets light enough to see how much further we have to climb. "Not far at all," I say to myself excitedly, picking up the pace in anticipation of reaching the top... We are finally there, and all at once we are chattering and gabbing and smiling and looking.
Suddenly, a silence fills the crisp air as the sun creeps up over the rugged mountains before us. The magnified sounds of our breathing and the powerful winds whistling through the mountains accompany us; we are captured in a deep trance by the bright rays beaming down on us. Simultaneously, we all realize our hard work and tired bodies have been reimbursed. That and more.
 I hesitate to pull my eyes from this magnificent sight, but curiously I look over at my group. I am reassured to see that they are all as mystified as I am. Looking at us all clustered and huddled together, I crack a smile and memories tackle my mind. I remember our long hiking days, gazing up at the star-filled sky as we lay warm in our sleeping bags, and our Ultimate Frisbee games. I remember talking and laughing as we set up camp, overcoming challenges, peddling down steep hills on our mountain bikes, fly fishing on glass lakes, making scrumptious meals, and falling asleep to the peaceful lullaby of the rushing rivers.
As all these thoughts and pictures flash through my mind, it hits me! I realize how much I have learned about others, the Earth, the mountains, backpacking, and -- most of all -- myself. I realize how much fun I've had, and how lucky I am to have experienced Moondance. I begin to squint as the warm sun rises higher in the sky. My unforgettable instructors shoot me smirks as if they know exactly what I'm thinking. I'm sure they did. |
