Sun's a Comin

Looking out the window of my house to the sun hitting the porch. It's a nice day and things are still moving along just like they were yesterday. There is hardly anymore snow on the ground and you can feel that spring is coming along. One can almost feel the happiness that the trees are feeling from the warmth of the long awaited sun. 

I spent last weekend at Joshua Tree National Park with some good friends and we had some good times. It was a drastic change in scenery than what I have been use to in the past years of my life. Dropping into the desert surrounded by massive slabs of rock that attract the most novice and expert climbers around the world. This place has such a dramatic topography unlike anything that I have ever seen before. But just like any amazing and beautiful place its the people that you are with that make every sight that much better. From Scrambling up rocks in search of a private climb to looking out over the park at some of the most unique trees in North America. The nights at any camping destination is always the most refreshing time for me. Sitting under the stars and next to a fire is always a good meal for the soul. A circle of friends around a fire is one of the most pure things we have today. Jokes, questions, life stories and sometimes just some empty conversation is always more honest under the stars next to a fire. 

From the fire to my first week of work was a somewhat of a harsh transition for me. I am working in the San Gabriel mountain range and every view is stunning. I spent the last week hauling cables from here to there and I am not going to lie I am very sore but its such a rewarding feeling. The landscape is very treacherous and one miss placed step could send you tumbling down some very steep terrain. Despite these conditions there is something to be said about the area that I am in. Ponderosa and Jeffery Pines trying to disguise themselves as one another and giant Sugar Pines bragging to others around them about their cones being so perfectly formed. White Furs spreading across the slopes adding a delicate scene to the area. I am working in nature and I have begun to realize that not everyone gets to see this beauty like I do. The majority of the masses would rather see it from a distance like from their television set or in a car just driving by. The way the sun sets on these mountains and the way the trees cast their perfect shadows is an eye opening and spiritual experience. I will take a passage from one of Jack's favorite writers Gary Snyder, "The lessons we learn from the wild become the etiquette of freedom." I plan on finding new trails and new paths to walk off of as I continue to try and understand the wilderness.