Emigrant Wilderness 2013

9-10-2013

The trail,
Forested white fir.
Inner laced of roots and earth exposed,
Like fingers of an ancient wizard.

Split in two but not.
Nearly identical from germination,
Limbs, bark and trunk.

Hot cider, carefully stirred,
Up to my fingers tips.
This spoons handle,
cut off.

9-11-2013

Serenaded by cowbells.
All,
night,
long.

9-12-2013

Majestic twins,
Together above us, hovering.
Reaching arms, lobed.
This limbed canopy,
Like the river systems we’re traveling.

Traverse, up sloping benches.
Contour south, now west.
Dark dihedrals of Granite Dome,
Finally in view.

9-13-2013

Willows and meadow,
lakes fringed with snags,
A study in patient line untangling.

High rocky cirque, lakes,
Emerald blue and green.
They’re magnetic to my feet.

From Corral Canyon,
a ribbon of Foxtail pines and fir,
as if they were guides,
we follow to camp.

9-14-2013

With confident feet,
along granite slabs.
Higher we clamber,
steeply,
steadily,
finally,
a spectacular perch.

In this tidy bowl,
Frequent breeze blowing.
We’re grateful for our,
cozy hats.

Along the border,
Granite sidewalks, undulate into
sky blue water.

Casting along,
Looped into silver snags.
Another lost fly.

Above me cliffs brood.
Scampering and climbing.
A fish I chase,
for dinner.