be fiercely kenetic, for pete's sake!

so
basin > saddleback.

basin sits @ 4827
saddleback @ 4515

hike from the garden is roughly 15 miles to and fro.

grabbed my shit (mistakenly without packing any food) and took off from burlington around 5. got to the garden at around 7. hit it and began to immediately recognize that all was well. at the outset trail was far from the rock-hoppin obstacle course of a few weeks ago. and as things progressed, i was provided subltle, encouraging hints that the water wasn't coursing down, that john's brook could be crossed, finally.

raining and a bit wet, but conditions were really those dealt off the botom of the deck on the day itself. didn't have to contend w/ the residual, ya know.

pass the comfot of the jbl, inta the woods and streams. up the pitch to bushnell falls, a quick
hop-anda-skip (with a light heart and spirit) across basin brook, and then finally to cross john's brook up high and enjoy a stroll beyond. possibilities a plenty. haystack. marcy. i went slant rock and a left, up up up.

funny: on the trail came to the point where i got stuck on a mission ta haystack last november, like spiderman, on a rock face just above 4k. couldn't then rationalize pushing through. ice.
yesterday was the day.

up up we go. energized. looking back without hesitation, anymore.

throughout wet with little vizability. but the right hike. moving well and quickly mastering it all.

movin up i found out pretty quick that i was in for a rare treat. the approach to basin's summit involved some crazy rock scramblin up its exposed face to then find a hostile and unrecpetive welcome. thinkin about it at the time, was just workin through, stayin outta the wind, pushin ahead, after all.

the thought. each hike is. earning a foot here and there. ultimatey. moving through privileged, sacred space + than selfishly gaining the benifit of enjoying any kind of view available. with no viz the hike became very much that, the hike. is.

staring at the summit of saddleback was confirmation. an exposed rock climb of a couple hundred yards, all after the significant effort to position oneself for the atempt.

up up we go
deliberately. heightened conscoiuosness.
just breathe. just breathe. pause and breathe.

as has been true w/ most of my experiences in the adks: a test. to be forced to reconcile while hangin off exposed rock, like spidey, is a wonderful opportunity to do some fiercely kinetic thinking.

if you were happy mowing yer friggin yard yesterday, sorry, just dont think you'd get it.