Day 217, Aug 30, Backpacking cont.

Paradise Valley Backpack, Day 2

Nothing else in life quite compares to spending a night deep in the woods. At dusk, we heard the eerie strange call of a screech owl, watched a family of ducks gracefully play on the water, and we fell asleep to the gentle murmur of the river.

Morning dawned cool and refreshing, the early sun gleaming off the high peaks and slowly wending its way down into the canyon. We slept a long hard 10 hours after yesterdays brutal workout and were ready for a day of exploration without heavy packs.

Our lady friend who experienced a scrape with death from a falling tree which glanced her shoulder wasn’t  as happy as we were that glorious morning. She wasn’t having any fun and concluded she had bitten off more than she could chew with this trip. She decided to forego the next 5 days she’d planned to hike and simply threw in the towel, returning the way she’d come. I am so sad for her; she is not a generally happy creature and this trip did not prove a blessing to her. 

Three amazing things:

1- How is it that a sunset or a hike in the woods is markedly more enjoyable when we are with somebody else and not all alone?  

I thought of our lady friend and wondered how she would answer the question, “Have you enjoyed a happy fulfilling life?” I can answer for me with a firm YES because I have been blessed with remarkable people who love me and whom I love. God has truly given me joy through the good people He has provided for me.

2- Lunch spot number one along The Kings River at one of hundreds of falls we passed can hardly be described, it was so exquisite. Towering granite cliffs rose straight up from the river which plunged and tumbled and quite beguiled us. We stretched out in the shade on the cool rocks, quenched our parched bodies with crystal clear icy glacial runoff, and dreamed that time would hold still for a few hours more.

3- We ventured on, happy to not be burdened by heavy packs, further up Kings Canyon to its junction with Woods Creek. Lunch spot number two along the banks of the rushing Woods Creek proved as refreshing and delightful as spot number one. Because we had no real destination in mind, we lingered a while there, mesmerized by the picturesque river.

4- We enjoyed all our meals in what we termed The Living Room situated on the pebble strewn banks of the river just steps from our campsite. Here the trees opened up allowing us the full vista of the towering granite cliffs of the Sierra Nevadas on either side. Many folk put up pictures in their dining rooms of such bucolic beauty. Here we lived and dined inside that stellar picture for a handful of days. 

5- Water is life. Water is refreshing. Water is crucial to body, mind, and spirit. Paradise Valley and The Kings River have rejuvenated us, and the day slipped away all too quickly. Was simply another lovely day in Paradise.