My Journey to the Mountain

Leaving the warmth of my home
I set out
Early in the morning
Sunrise
A 6 day trek
Up and back down the mountain
It’s late December
Snow is 3 feet deep
Good thing I have snow shoes
My pack is 30 pounds of supplies
I have Ol’ Red
My .44 Magnum lever action rifle with attached scope
The stock is red cedar wood
Plenty of game to hunt on the mountain
Fresh cold water from streams
Sustain me
I come across a plump rabbit
Scurrying for food
Ol’ Red makes quick work of her
Rabbit stew for dinner
I come across a dense grove of pine
The smell is glorious
I’ll make camp here
I setup my tent
And get out my sleeping bag
I need firewood
My handy hatchet soon procures
An abundance of firewood
I have a nice roaring fire
A few potatoes, onions and carrots
And some spices go in my cast iron pot
The veggies and rabbit are boiling in water
The smell is wonderful
My dinner is soon ready
Plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow
I put the lid on the pot and let it simmer
I read “Leaves of Grass” by Walt Whitman
It’s soon midnight
Time to for bed
I have strange dreams
A wolf is chasing me
As I run the frosty air stings my lungs
The wolf closes in on me
Its red glowing eyes are demonic
Suddenly I pull out a small wood carved cross
I shout at the wolf “I rebuke you in Jesus’ Name!”
And suddenly the wolf disappears
I wake up it’s 7am
Despite my dreams
My sleep was sound and restful
I gather up my camp
And I set out for the mountain’s summit
It will be a grueling 2 day journey
After some hours of walking I see a big owl in a tree
It swoops down and catches a mouse
Such a majestic creature
I love the calm and stillness of the mountain
I truly feel at peace
After 2 days I reach the summit
A bald eagle circles high above
Such a powerful predator
The views are amazing
I see other mountains
Deep valleys
Streams
Even a nice lake far in the distance
It’s around 1pm so I go fishing
The mountain stream is chock full of delicious trout
I easily catch enough fish for dinner
I clean the fish thoroughly
Cut it up
Then fry up the trout with some butter
In my cast iron pan
Exhausted from the hike up the mountain
I fall asleep at sun down around 5pm
The next morning I wake up at dawn
A nice sleep indeed
I feel energized for the hike down
Back to my original camp site
It’s 2 days later
I’m back at my original camp site
I spot a young male deer
I slowly take out Ol’ Red
Aim
Fire!
A direct shot in the heart
Venison steak for dinner tonight
And enough meat to take home
I better get to butchering
With my trusty Buck knife
It’s my last night on the mountain
The air up here is so fresh and clean
I feel connected to my ancestors
The past week
Was a way of life to them
I appreciate the comforts of modern life
Yet part of me envies my ancestors
And longs for the simplicity of their type of life
I take out my Sony Walkman portable CD player
And listen to Bach’s Magnificat
The stars above are dazzling
It looks like millions of diamonds
Suspended in space
I appreciate every second
I’ve spent on the mountain
I fall asleep happy for my experience
Yet sad to see it end so soon
I wake up around dawn
Time to leave the mountain
It’ll be a slow trek back home
Thank you Lord
For your glorious creation
May we be good stewards of it