The granite and snow sink into my soul,
While walking, I am one with the Sierras.
But, sad when having separated.
Leaving - a feeling of longing and letdown.
My heart has been stolen,
Ripped in parts by these mountains
What’s left inside always aching to return.
The end of the trek is the ultimate goal,
Exciting, but dissatisfying.
The journey built connections within,
Which fade away after the end.
Lofty mountain peaks I struggled to climb,
Then plunged deep into the valleys below.
The travel between these two extremes
Brought pain and reward – they are often the same,
And create harmony.
After the hike I am rested, but soon I am restless again,
Feeling unfulfilled and far away.
There’s a hole in my soul
That only these mountains can fill.
For now, memories are all that remain.
Visions and feelings
Of meadows carpeted in green
And a being filled with gold,
Of overwhelming joy and sweet sadness,
Of babbling brooks and brilliant blues,
Of jagged peaks that speak to me
Of snowy streaks across a granite face
And tracks of icy tears from ever present fears
And newfound joy.
I entered these mountains as a man
Humbled and alive, I come back as the boy.
Every summer the Sierras sing to me.
Awakening - a return, my spirit takes wing.
And I am made once again whole,
Sun shining to the depth of my soul
Smiling with sweet sadness and longing,
Feeling connected despite the separation.
Phil Hough
Chair - Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness
www.ScotchmanPeaks.org