Sometimes heaven is a place on earth.
Welcome to City of Rocks, Idaho, USA:
The thing is, The City is one of the most beautiful places I have ever climbed. It looks like Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Granitic forms rise up and out of the sage, juniper and aspen stands and tower there, hundreds of feet above the earth in unique and beautiful forms. It’s nearly too much to bear. I don’t know where to look so I take it all in at once and feel a bit dizzy, a bit tiny and a little bit justified beneath all of that magnificent and exposed igneous intrusion.
I consider The City to be one of the Holy of Holies in this state of mine. The rumble and fumble of creation is heard here in the whisker twitch of a jackrabbit and the soft, slow crumble of gorgeously formed granite; firm in crystal lattice: like prickly liquid under the softness of my hands. This is living rock.
When I’m on it, something that once slept in me becomes wild and alive.
I become a wedge of lichen clinging to its surface; a burly little fern pushing up and out of a fissure.
I feel small and mighty. All at once. I’m part of a greater whole.
My perspective grows wide.
God feels bigger than ever.
I was in good company with people who climb safely.
My partner, Sue, pushed me to do routes outside of my comfort zone. And each time I sent a route, I howled at the top like a wild thing and shook my mane in the wind before looking out at the vistas below me. We perched atop rocks like wise ravens, like stone mavens. We felt the burn of rock on skin, felt the rush of tenuous grips, watched the clouds roll in and roll back under the hand of the sun. We pushed through mental barriers. We never quit. Not even once. We hid in a cave when it rained. We sweated like men, called out encouragement to each other and pulled past pigeon rookeries on our way to the top.
We watched the sun sink, we ate, we laughed around a fire and then in the morning, we did it all over again. Skin under sun on rock in wind.
We made gravity mad; no matter how she tried,
she couldn’t keep us down.
And then we jumped in the truck and traveled home
through the sunset
through the twilight
past the fields with their irrigation ballet
into sleepy Pocatello
onto our street.
And we wondered:
Why don’t we go there more often?
Hope your weekend was rad.
xx
PLUME
PS Gosh. I. Just. Really. Love. Idaho.
It makes my heart sing opera.
PS Gosh. I. Just. Really. Love. Idaho.
It makes my heart sing opera.
Beautiful …. lovely seeing you!
xx
you're amazing!
Your pictures tell and amazing and lovely story.
Your pics are rad, you are rad.
It really is God's country and I'm so happy you are taking advantage of everything He offers. I miss my home state but at the same time Arizona offers much beauty as you well know. Beautiful pictures. XXOO Sal
sounds like a fantastic experience!
(i must acquire some upper-body strength so i can climb sometime(?))
it's always nice to have people who believe in you and push you further than you may have imagined.
those are keepers 🙂
Man I love it when you go to the city! I am feeling the hankerin' to climb so high and breathe in the vastness of sky because the REAL city(Spokane is not supersize BUT I am such a country girl)can be so so stifling and makes me sing the DON'T FENCE ME IN SERANATA
lalalalalalaaaaaa.
Lovely photos from your adventure! How freeing to climb those rocks and fly through the air.
Wow.
That's it…
xo
Andrea
It looks amazing!
I'm so glad you were able to go. 🙂
XO, s
You make me want to be strong and brave and to drink in rocks and sky here in Alberta.
beaming with jealousy.
Who would have guessed that a prairie girl could climb so high?
…this prairie girl used to climb at Saskatoon's VVW with some freakishly strong people:)
If your silver work is the main course, then your writing is the dessert. Sweet! Thanks for sharing the journey with us. Keep rock'n.
really big rocks always give me pause to feel small and humble.
*love* your big rocks, i do….
…your city rocks my world…indeed!
So good — it's so good!!