A second moment of Zen

March 4, 2021

I’m off on a fool’s errand this morning; but allegedly monkeys can type up a sonnet given enough time, so sometimes even fools can get lucky. Maybe today is my day.

I woke up in the middle of the night with a clear image of removing my glasses from my pocket and setting them on the rocks at the highest point of yesterday’s hike, in preparation for staging a selfie of myself sitting on the edge of the world. This sort of thing happens to me from time to time - I’ll get a vision that feels so sharp that it feels like it must be real. Sometimes it is, but mostly it’s just a fantasy.

I discuss it over coffee with Rachael this morning. It sounds really plausible - they had to have dropped out somewhere, and nowhere is more likely than a spot that I dashed back and forth four different times trying to get back from the camera and settled in time for a decent shot. We discuss too the likelihood of the still being up there - it was windy last night, and might they have blown over the rim into the abyss?

It reminds both of us of our honeymoon in Stehikin on Lake Chelan. We took a hike up in the mountains, and when we got back to the cabin at the end of the hike I realized my glasses were missing. So as you can see, this sort of thing has been going on a long time now. It’s not getting better with time, either. We decide that it is worth climbing back up to look for them at the most likely spot they were left behind. We were successful 32 years ago, so maybe today as well? We have the time, and it sounds worth a shot.

I drive the car to the closest spot to the summit that I can drive to, and start walking. I walk the route in reverse this time, because it’s shorter and easier, and I get an early start so that I might get back with enough time and energy for a bike ride. I can’t drive as close as I’d hoped, so it ends up being a five and a half mile hike round trip.

I call Rachael from the summit, with the disappointing but unsurprising news that the glasses refuse to be found. I call her again about halfway back to the car with the disappointing but unsurprising news that this is all taking longer than I thought, and I don’t think I’m likely to want to go for a bike ride when I get back. She may as well make her own plans for the day.

So, that’s discouraging. On the upside though, it was still quite a nice hike and enjoyable being out early in the day this time. And Rachael had a fine solo ride, mostly along the Virgin River Trail again, putting in her 42 miles and 2,100’ of climbing; and I had a nice nap followed by a relaxing afternoon; and we went back to the Cliffside Restaurant for dinner again, for another feast overlooking an awesome view.

On the Zen Trail, looking toward Snow Canyon again. The light is different this morning, and it’s beautiful in a different way.

It rained a bit in the valley overnight, and apparently snowed up above about 5,000’. The snowy band on the left of Pine Mountain is up where we were biking two days ago.

The view to the west is better in the morning, with a clearer look at the Virgin Canyon.

So here’s the spot. Do you see a pair of spectacles here? Me neiither. after ten minutes thoroughly searching the area and even carefully peeking over the ledge, I gave up.

I was more careful on the way down to look around along the path. I didn’t find my glasses, but there was this key someone found and left in a prominent spot.

I don’t know what this is. It looks sort of like a hedgehog, and sort of like a prickly pear.

The view from the Cliffside. I love that lowest formation to the south. It reminds me of a crimped pastry, maybe a samosa.

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