Back to the Top

Tonight, we hiked Castle Peak with Ben, Professor Chan’s husband. Because of the large size of our group, we had to take the light rail. Because of the riveting conversation, we missed our stop. By five stops. Finally we reached the beginning of the trail, the base of a large hill in a neighborhood. Up and up and up (seemingly familiar elevation change) up concrete and rock and dirt and more rock, more concrete, stairs, railing, chain to pull yourself up with, heavy breathing, laughter, silence in the moments where we were all just trying to get to the top. At one point I started to pray that we would reach the summit then I realized that if I started to think like that, when we summited I would start to wish for the ground. I quickly passed the leaders of the group and sped up to a higher point where, for a few minutes, I looked back out over the dark city. I listened to the distant sound of my fellow hikers encouraging one another and the repetition of their footsteps. I listened to the trees. I traced with my mind’s finger the black shape of the mountains, outlined and defined by the glimmering lights of the city. I rejoined the group.