Olympic Peninsula June 2021

 "We are now in the mountains, and they are in us..."-John Muir, My First Summer in the Sierra 

As Muir writes in his love letter to the mountains, the mountains, too, find themselves in me each time venture into their territory. Escaping into the mountains fills me with respect and awe for their stature, their ability to see all, and their disposition to disclose nothing. 

Being on a mountain makes me feel grand and insignificant at once. It is a spiritual journey with each trek. I don't believe it is a coincidence that this Earth is abundant with beauty. It was placed here with intention. I am blessed to be one of the lucky ones that gets to see this sublimity in its own habitat. When I am on the mountain and surrounded by the forest, there is no problem that does not have a solution. The solution is to be present, and with that, I am always peaceful on the mountain.

My journeys into nature bring a paradox of challenge and peace. This past weekend's trip in the lush Olympic Peninsula took place during record heats. Nonetheless, we ventured. The photos below were taken on a 13 mile, 3748 foot journey on Mt. Mueller. The temperatures were close to 100 degrees. 

The human body and psyche amazes me. We can do incredible things and surpass our own expectations. When I venture into the mountains, I am always amazed at what my body and mind can do. Half the battle is physical, while the other half is mental. The heat was torturous but at no point did I consider ending or turning back. The only option is always to keep going. While I am in this state of determination, I can think of nothing else. In turn, I am in complete peace. No thoughts enter my head other than the will to continue and the respect that I hold for the nature around me. 

Day 2's Hike to Tubal Mine was doubly an excursion into a bizarre moment in history. In 1952, a B-17 plane mysteriously crashed in the Olympic Peninsula. The plane's remains are still in tact for those who endeavor to climb to its site. The plane was a search-and-rescue returning to the military base at McChord air force from a rescue mission along Canadian waters. The crew held eight people that were flying in blizzard conditions, and the plane clipped the side of a ridge, tumbling down a steep and snowy slope. Three members perished, and the others climbed back to the top of the mountain where they created an emergency shelter before being rescued the following day. The photo below features parts of the plane behind me. It is a mystery how they remain in the water. Nearby in the forest, portions of steel and a wheel are still to be found.