Recollection

Our adventure was a success. It started under starry skies; an auspicious red moon rising in the east. We drove miles and miles, away from civilization, into the hills, to a town with too many consonants and not enough vowels. Kyburz. A smiling delirium took us around midnight and we laughed and we laughed and we laughed. We sang songs and told scary stories about death and beauty as we climbed winding roads into the dark and misty mountains. Camp didn't take long to setup and we celebrated with a goodnight glass of wine. The night snuck into my tent an hour or so after I'd fallen asleep and shook me awake with cold hands. I shivered and wrapped myself deeper into the fleece blankets but it was useless against the cold. Soon morning came. It was like someone flipped a switch and suddenly there were birds and brightness, bustling, light, life.

We ate, took a swim in a cold river, and set out for a 5 mile hike...with a 2,800 ft change in elevation. For perspective, that's a greater change in elevation than Half Dome in Yosemite. The ascent was rapid and steep, breathless and unforgiving. Soon Q was sweating like an amphibian and cautioned us against our misplaced ambition. As he spoke the skies darkened. He had a wearied, knowing look in his eye. He said we should turn back, that it was suicide. Drops of water fell on us, and on the trail, making it more dangerous. We quickly about-faced and scuttled as fast as we could back to the car, getting completely soaked in the process. We stopped at a bar in town called Strawberry to dry off. It was the kind of place with a giant taxidermied bear, an old operator's switchboard, swinging saloon doors and lots of wood paneling. Something about it reminded me of a smoky old pool table. We had a drink and the rains passed as quickly as they came. The sun was back. Another hike, higher up the mountain, beside a lake. We chatted about Hemingway and Hitchcock as the flies around the lake waged war with our faces. They attacked us with verve, like in the Hitchcock film The Flies. After leaving we returned to the campsite and ate 10 hotdogs. Each. We ate chili and vegetables, too. Drank beers and then wine. We played guitar by the campfire and got to bed at a semi-respectable hour.

The next day, the 4th, was more of the same, give or take a waterfall. Which, after all, is just water running over rocks. My knee wasn't a fan of the hike and decided to quit early on, refusing to bend. I pushed through, cursing at it and slapping it, wondering from which parent I'd inherited my forsaken joint. We arrived at the base of the falls and once more the sky brought us the sea. Thunder roared overhead. Water tumbled down and made the rocky trail slippery. We ambled down a large stretch of wet granite, trying hard not to fall or get struck by lightning. At that elevation, and with the absence of trees, we sure were pretty little lightning rods. Luckily, we weren't struck. On the way back to camp we stopped off at a ramshackle roadside gas station where we purchased more wine, more ice, more Doritos, cheese, crackers, eggs for the morning, bananas. Hungry hands quickly demolished the bag of Doritos. They were gone before we even got back to camp.

Looking out the window, wiping hot crumbs of Spicy Ranch Doritos from my fiery lips, I noticed the sky. It had become wicked. Dark clouds swirled in slow threatening spirals. From the car I could see rain menacing a nearby mountain. Just as we pulled into camp the sky broke open. Torrents of rain were coming down. Thunder rolled across the tops of tall pines. Panic. A tarp and some running, hastened rummaging, a search for a misplaced package of bungees, hurried teamwork and, voila: shelter from the storm. As soon as the tarp was rigged up above us, each of us with one arm still holding it in place, mothball sized pieces of hail began to rain down on it, bouncing off of trees and ricocheting madly off of everywhere. It was sudden and biblical. We watched an old man get pummeled, smited, pulverized by balls of ice hurled by an angry god. He shrieked and cried out for help but there was nothing we could do. We sipped our beers and avoided each other's eyes until the screaming stopped. By the time the storm had passed a muddy river was running through J's tent. Q pulled a fishing pole from a drenched duffle bag and we fished inside the tent for trout and whatever else we could find. We ate the fish and listened to Bob Dylan. Soon the sun came out. The bottles of wine were all gone, save for one. We took it and the guitar to the river. Sitting out on rocks overlooking the water we drank and sang songs until the sun set. Back at the camp we found more beers. J dazzled us with his songs and we kept drinking until the fire wore out.

I blacked out. The next thing I know I woke up feeling wretched. My skin smelled awful and sweaty, rotten, almost toxic. My head pounded. I crawled out of my tent, groaning. When Q saw me he said he thought for sure I was dead. They told me last night I kept insisting that Layla was the first word to the song "Layla." I had no recollection.

Also, I apparently made a $100 bet that Cat Stevens sang "Cats in the Cradle," and lost. I have no recollection.

What'll you do when you get lonely
And nobody's waiting by your side?
You've been running and hiding much too long.
You know it's just your foolish pride.

Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.

I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down.
Like a fool, I fell in love with you,
Turned my whole world upside down.

Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.

Let's make the best of the situation
Before I finally go insane.
Please don't say I'll never find a way
And tell me all my love's in vain.

Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.

Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.