Asleep at the Wheel

"Mother, mother

There's too many of you crying

Brother, brother, brother

There's far too many of you dying

You know we've got to find a way

To bring some loving here today...ya-aah" 

"What's Going On," Marvin Gaye

What does one do to counter seemingly endless news of tragedy and suffering wrought by earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, and heart wrenching executions of innocent men, women, and children at the hands of homicidal psychopaths? 

Where is the "light" at the end of this tunnel of doom? Where is the turning point, or better, where is the breaking point? Where is the "dawn" of a new day that follows such darkness? Where the fuck is our "benevolent God" when we need Him?     

It was a soggy, foggy morning when Bobbie and hauled our numb minds and bodies for color-hike up Dexter Creek Trail. Lovely Ouray was covered under a thick blanket of fog forecasted to burn off by mid-morning, allowing temps to warm into the 60's. 

Melting snow and ice from the bows of pines created a literal rain forest as Bobbie and I slogged up through bushes and trees dripping with moisture...our hearts and legs heavy with the somber reality that, at times, we live in a world of unbridled pathos. 

Our task as human beings is to carry on, to shine the dimmest of light upon darkness in whatever horrific form it takes, while our "benevolent Creator" dozes at the wheel...

 We thought about trying to make a ten mile loop-hike by going up Dexter Creek (red) and returning on Cutler Creek (blue). However, that would leave an additional 5 or 6 mile road hike at the end to get us back to the car at Dexter's trailhead.

Then, of course, there was snow that would get deeper as we ascended. We learned our "lesson" a couple of years ago trying to hike Cutler Trail after a fall snowstorm. The idea was to make a loop-hike, but as we ascended to higher elevations the snow was so deep we couldn't stay on-trail. We wandered through dense forest...looking for old "blazes" on trees as another storm bared down. 

This time we settled for an out-and-back.

On a happier note, our Sonoma Pals are in town for their annual fall photo-tour of the San Juan Mountains. Al and Doug invited us over to the Seldom Inn for homemade peach pie and coffee (Al, your crust is to die for!).

I'll finish with a few photos from a hike up Oak Creek Trail...just to shed a little more "light" on the darkness.