In the morning, we took our time,
brewed our tea, cooked our eggs and toast,
and watched the sun turn everything to fluff and gold.
The snow that fell in the night sloughed off rapidly and the day grew warm.
We filled our backpacks and hiked out to Skilliner hot springs, a few miles from our campsite. The trail we walked was a highway! We made the first hot spring foray of the year in this area and the animals, with the nonexistent local human population, were using the trails as their own. We saw cougar tracks like dinner plates and followed, for at least a full mile, the Smoky Mountain grey wolf pack.
This was the largest track of them all:
Startlingly large, if you keep in mind that I have really
big hands for being such a little girl — bigger than RW’s!
I strained my eyes, searching and searching the mountain sides for a glimpse of the powerful grey wolf pack that calls the Smoky Mountains home…but we saw nothing but the scuffle of tracks and frequent piles of scat, thick with elk hair.
I can’t explain why I wanted to see a wolf so badly, besides the fact that it’s a rare and special thing to see one romping about in the wild. Had I come face to face with the wolf that made this track, he’d have easily stood higher than my waist…
I suppose…
I suppose I sometimes feel like a wolf.
A solitary wolf.
A few weeks ago, a friend referred to me as a “…lone wild woman…” and while these wolves seemed to be running as a pack, there is still an unfettered spirit and a lonesomeness associated with the species that I identify with.
I prayed to see one.
I wished I may.
I wished I might.
I wished to see a wolf that night…
The Smoky River blasted through the canyons, scouring the mountains with silty snow melt. RW, being the fisherman he is, continuously commented on eddies, holes and quieter bends that would hold fish later in the season. Then he lamented how his summer months are stolen by his work every year. Then I reminded him that whenever he jumps out of an airplane and into a forest fire, he always carries a broken down fishing rod in the leg pocket of his jumpsuit and that last year, he fished remote regions of British Columbia, Alaska and the North Cascades…and then he felt much better.
All things were leaning into spring.
The Douglas firs were dropping their snow melt in fat drips on a quiet forest floor.
I hugged every ponderosa pine I encountered.
The lodge pole pines were weeping their sap.
Plumbelina fell in the river.
We came to Skilliner, shucked off our shoes and clothes and then slid into the natural hot spring pool like Adam and Eve before the fall of Eden. There was a rough wind whipping down the valley, cooled as it flowed over river water and pink on our faces as it buffeted our sanctuary again and again. There was the awe that comes with soaking in water that flows hot out of the ground, hot from the crust, warmed by the earth instead of the fires of humankind. We had a larger than life feeling of smallness, and the glorious actualization of goodness and God.
There was Robert, primal and beautiful…
…as beautiful on the outside as he is on the inside.
There was lunch, a sip of water or two, carrot sticks for Plumbelina who burned her feet in a secondary hot spring creek that was much hotter than our pool. There were bare feet gripping rock, a cascade like a perfect shower and sock tracks that wouldn’t leave my ankles.
There was the walk back to our campsite, distant mountains rising up so rich with life and seasonal promise, so ancient and stalwart. I felt gaurded by the natural and kept by the strongest Keeper.
Best of all,
there was a feeling of grandness of heart,
of potential for survival,
the defeat of the fear that sometimes
comes with another season of fire.
We walked down through the sun and dust
to Talulah, piled into her happy space and hit the road again.
Relaxed just seeing the pics. Glad you got some time with your love.
Perfect!
You wanted to see one of those wolves?!?! Crazy girl.
There was a certain photo here that gets quite a few women zooming their browsers, I'm sure…. GEEZ.
Hey now! RW can't help that he's a smokejumping stone cold fox!
ZOOM AWAY, ladies! ZOOM AWAY! And tell all your daughters to grow up to love a fireman — they're some of the very best men I know. 🙂
You know I'D love to see ALL those wolves right along with you! I googled the pack's name and found this:
http://wolves.wordpress.com/2007/10/01/phantom-hill-pack2/
The yearling is like a lean black shadow of my yearling Taya. Sounds like so far some folks have been helping to keep them (as well as livestock) safe.
And yes, I agree there's nothing better than being naked in wild water, especially with one's true love. In my case, it was a stream in the Shenandoah mountains.
Beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing your reveries.
x
Whew…you had fun, no doubt! I was impressed with the egg-toast, I plan to try. I was glad that you hugged every pine..impressed by the animal foot prints. I don't see you as a wild woman at all btw, you are a refined woman! xo
D: Ooh!!! That second wolf image gave me shivers!!! Thanks for the link!
MLJ: Well!!! I am very glad to be refined in your eyes! 🙂 While I may consider myself wild, I don't think I'm particularly "rough". I have that egg toast for breakfast every other day or so…it's one of my favorite ways to eat in the morning!
I love the last two posts. Camping is one of my favorite things to do with my family, but we have never camped like you two have. =3 It looked to be quite a bit of fun, especially being right out there in the middle of nowhere. =3 Somewhere, but nowhere at the same time.
And all us artists are wild at heart. =D We may be refined-like ladies at home, but deep down we are as wild as wolves, roaming through the rolling hills of creativity, absorbing everything inspiring around us. =3
"We had a larger than life feeling of smallness…"
…That's simply brilliant.
I shamelessly marked that picture of RW as a favorite right beside my husband last night on flickr ha,ha! Other than that little fact, I adore these posts and sitting back to daydream of days like these in my life someday.
Well, goodness.
That settles it. Hubby's getting a fireman's outfit for Christmas.
(On second thought…maybe just the boots!!)
xx
Gorgeous wolf track!!
good stuff!
Steppenwolf
::one of my favourite books…read it?::
Fabulous Share…
xoxox to you J
That's it! I am adopting you two as children of my heart and soul.
Gorgeous words and pics as always and thanks for sharing beautiful birdie…
"….a larger than life feeling of smallness, and the glorious actualization of goodness and God….felt gaurded by the natural and kept by the strongest Keeper…."
oh, my. your words. the images. i ached so deeply in my very inner being reading these words, viewing your photos of deep rich colours.
so pleased i am able to see these images and peruse your ramblings and wishes and prayers.
I am not seeing wild but then you know yourself well? And crude, NEVER.
I love that egg toast because it looks like a picture to me. I think that breakfast would make me smile. Glad you had such a great time you wild thing! xo
These pictures reminded me to take time and enjoy the beautiful nature here in Finland. Especially now when it´s starting to bloom and grow.<3
xxPiia
Hey chickadees!
THANK YOU thank you so much for these wonderful comments and for seeing the beauty of the world with me. Believe me when I say, I wish I could have crammed you all in Talulah with us…but you know…it would have been mighty uncomfy.
SO GLAD TO SHARE this trip with you here.
SO glad.
xx
lady – what a beautiful account of a fabulous trip. as a side note – aren't those sweets and beets chips delicious?!
love you.
j
Gorgeous shots and spirit! Hope this trip was all you needed before your fire jumper leaves you for the summer <3
Love that you do toad in a hole too! I only just discovered while I was in Italy a few months back. Can't believe I've been missing out! Looks like you had a brilliant time 🙂
What a beautiful pilgrimage into Idaho. Sigh.
… And a little steamy–yowzah!
okay…I know the pic of your beloved hubby is meant to be artsy, but I keep looking at it over and over and over and saying GOOD GOLLY!!!
Well now…
I was completely focused on the storytelling and photos. That is, until I saw the photo of Hercules and then I just couldn't think straight after that…