"It's a beautiful day," I screech in the worst "Bono" imitation ever, then proceed to butcher U2's lyrics like slaughterhouse sheep. My felicity is boundless on Hangover Trail. I've got the sun's warmth on my face, a cool breeze at my back, and views to die for. "It's a beautiful day."
"You're on the road
But you've got no destination..."
The lyrics resinate. We are on the road; we got no destination.
Minus religiosity, my today life seems to inch closer to that of my parents. Sometimes I think people are not so different as they seem. There are many paths to freedom. Isn't that what we're all searching for? To have no master? To come and go as we please? To choose our gods and worship them freely...or not? To fend off "serpents" that would devour our hearts for breakfast? Ultimate freedom is the art of working with cement that never dries. I like fluidity.
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| Setting boot to trail on a circumferential hike around a red castle mountain. |
It always elicits a pregnant pause when people ask where we're headed. Wearing a blank expression, I look at Bobbie. She mirrors it back. I search for some wise "Because it's there" retort, but can never think of one beyond "Because it's there," which makes no sense and sounds anything but wise.
Alas, a witty quote proves nothing.
What a luxury, to seldom have a clue of tomorrow's destination. "Paradise is where I am. I don’t know where I am going, but at least I am on my way. If we do not find pleasant things, we shall at least find new things.” Voltaire
Ultimately is the best I can do. We'll return home to Lovely Ouray sometime in March...maybe April, but it could be as late as May. The goal, for me, anyway, is to arrive when shorts are in season, when snow is gone from town. It's always mid June to July before our mountains surrender their bulk of white plague (thanks to a higher sun and longer days). I am resolute, make no apology for the cold weather wimp who dwells within.
Between then and now we'll seek random places along the way from here to Ouray—some old favorites, a new haunt or two—while inching our way homeward. We'll tweak elevation to fit the forecast. Good weather—as fellow roadies know—is impossible to sustain March through May. Like hungry lions, western springs often roar, charge and eat before falling asleep. Fortunately, there are many canyons in Utah in which to play hide and seek.
Back to Bono...
It's a beautiful day
don't let it slip away
It's a beautiful day
You love this town
Even if that doesn't ring true
You've been all over
And it's been all over you
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it slip away
It's a beautiful day...
We don't let our day slip away. With Bono on the brain I'm savoring every step...beautiful day...every stair...don't let it slip away...and every stare is a vision of beautiful days to come...see the canyons broken by a cloud.
Goosebumps. Every time I hear Beautiful Day I get goosebumps.. You want goosebumps? Then Click here...
If you don't get goosebumps you might want to see a doctor about your cold heart condition...
There are places where Hangover is a gnarly scramble—sometimes narrow, precipitous, requires all-fours. In spite of this it's deemed a Mountain Bike Trail (see white stripes). Like, yeah, a double black diamond! We saw a few bikers. They had the largest balls. Impossible and Insane, if not stupid. Suicidal bikers with big balls, and perfectly good collarbones waiting to be snapped in two...or three.
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| If you want to keep your collarbone in tact, Hangover Bike Trail is better hiked than ridden. |
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| Oh sure I'd ride down that...thirty some years ago. |
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| Then around Castle Mountain to the shady north face, where they didn't have much soil to work with on highly inclined, unstable slopes. |
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| You have to ride up on the rock to miss that tree. |
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| Finally, the saddle...360 degrees and fifty shades of Red. More goosebumps. What you don't have you don't need it now... |
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| Don't need it now... |
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| Don't need it now... |
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| Don't need it now... |
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| Don't need it now... |
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| Don't need it now... |
What you don't have you don't need it now
What you don't know you can feel it somehow
What you don't have you don't need it now
Don't need it now
Don't need it now...
It was a beautiful day...
Don't need it now...
It was a beautiful day...
Peace out! Here's hoping Beautiful Day sticks in your head all day long. :0
mark and bobbie...on the road.
Felicity without destination.
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| I imagine the driver of this Toyota with a broken front axle wasn't having such a "beautiful day." |
Your post today is highly infectious! I'm in East Texas with 10 inches of rain since December first, almost 4 of those inches in the last 36 hrs, but hey "It's beautiful day!" :) And it's not even tornado season yet :(
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures as always, and accompanying text to spark contemplation. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWe did half of that hike a few years ago. It was enough. I don't trust my boots enough, I guess.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, great accompaniment to your photos, and yes, it is a beautiful day for fabulous quotes, too! So how do you find boondocking and no people in Sedona?? I guess I have to follow you around somehow to find what you find. Damn groupies...
ReplyDeleteAhhhh, Hangover...can't wait to hike it mid March!
ReplyDeleteWe might be passing through about that time, headed north. :)
DeleteWHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY, Hope I can get to sleep after that hike.
ReplyDeleteU2 nailed that one, make that the BCB theme song would you.
I'll be ready to meet you again tomorrow for another day like today.
You are certainly in a beautiful part of the country. Someday I hope to wander there as well. Currently I am down in Alabama with the dog, visiting the lake and reveling in the spring they have here while listening to stories from family and friends 'up north' about how warm it is there. I don't even feel bad that I drove 900 miles to get away from the cold and now it's not cold there anymore. Because I know that there in Michigan winter will return, it's only a matter of time. And when it does, I'll be here.
ReplyDeleteMan, I'm getting dizzy of so much beauty. What a wonderful area.
ReplyDeleteWhere are you heading? I’m heading “there” too! Age is the great equalizer to make us understand our parents. Love the pictures! Keep it up Mark, you words are golden.
ReplyDeleteWe are about to head "out there" for a few weeks. We haven't reached your state of independence yet but we're working on it. I hadn't listened to U2 in ages... after being an avid fan as a youngster. Thanks for sending me to that video. It is stuck in my mind, and we have some beautiful days coming up! Here's to you continuing to enjoy your days so much!
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