Awake
Dive into you and feel immediate comfort
Vast country awaits
Each memory starts with you
Now begin my gray and blue
Take my feet
Unwrap this earth
Right beneath me
Each step unravels

The First True Test

Open the doors
Straight to the back
I look
So many options
Nike?
Pink and purple?
Blue and gray?
These will work
Check out
-one month before

Surrounded by mountains
The waterfalls roar, showing their strength
Sitting in the middle of the lake
Sun-kissed
Swimming to the steep rocky cliff
1…2…3… I jump
The water hits my feet
Time to head home
It’s late
-less than 24 hours before

It’s dark
It’s early
I’m tired

Am I ready?
No training begins my worry
I lace you up

The race begins
The sun rises and blue skies appear
My feet are comfortable

Mile 6
Is it over yet?
My calf’s ache
My hips hurt
Almost halfway

Mile 12
Almost there
I’m supported

Mile 13.1
We made it
First long journey
-marathon

Take Me to the Lakes

We begin our warm July morning driving up the dirt road
Following Mr. Google

Problem: no service; Google is wrong; reevaluate

Turn around
We’re going the right way
The road narrows
Mountains gets steeper
SNOW!
Were stuck
-part 1

Bug spray. check
Sunscreen.  check
Paddleboard.  check
Fishing poles.  check
Friends.  check
Shoes.  check, check, check

Swarmed by mosquitoes as the truck doors open
Lake 1 in sight
Paddleboard ready
No luck

We hike

2 miles later
Look down on lake 2
Shallow, blue, beautiful
The hammock is up

Just us
Peace
Worth it
-part 2

A Day at the Peak

The road is steep and rocky
Truck moves slow as it climbs to our destination
Google leads the way

We begin our hike
Following a trail that was once there
Brush and overgrown trees engulf us

1.5 miles later
Are we going the right way?
Do we keep going through the brush that touches my hips?
Do we turn around?

We head back
Another 1.5 miles
My legs scratched
Feet ready to go on
-lost

We travel up the steep road once again
2 miles later
A distinct trail!

Are intended journey begins
One step after another
The trails flat
It gets steeper than the steepest switchback of the ‘M’
Now rocky

Hundreds of the biggest rocks piled up
The peaks in sight
We climb the rocks
The view

We can see Missoula
There’s the Bitterroot
Frenchtown
Nine Mile
Turn around
The Missions
Flathead

Don’t want to leave
Peering down
A lake
Maybe another day
Snowballs

It’s time to head back
Our 10 mile day comes to an end

Thank you soles for making it
-worth every mile

Waiting as the clock ticks
On the shelf
Never ending thoughts
Deciding
Every memory
Racing to get more