The clock alarm went off where it sat at the side of our bed. It was 7:00 Monday morning. Today we would be leaving beautiful Alaska and flying home.
I rolled out of bed and started to pull the sheets off, rolled them up, and gave them a toss, landing them in the corner. Slowly I walked to the closet and after wipping the stray hair back from my face, I started to lay all our cloths out on the bed.
"Well guess all good things come to a end. Right?" Stan said sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Yep that's what they say. But I'm ready to go home. It's been a wonderful vacation but I'm a bit homesick. It's ok."
After a breakfast of cooked oatmeal, eggs and bacon, we put our backpacks in the trunk of our rental car and drove to the edge of town. One more hike. One more strainious hike. We were going to hike to the top of Flattop Mountain.
Carolyn drove up the mountain for about two miles and pulled into the parking lot at the bottom of a tall mountain covered with pines and low growing ground cover. We grabbed a bottle of water each, walked to the trail head and started up.
The trail was a wide open trail winding among low growing shrubs, green low growing ground cover, and odd shaped pines, their trunks hugging the ground. As we leisurely walked up and up, we met people on their way down. At this point of the trail, we didn't know that this hike would be the most dangerous hike we took while vacationing in Alaska.
About half way up, we came out into a wide, open area. The trees had disappeared and we were standing there in a rocky, gravel covered clearing. We walked over to the edge and looked down. We could see the whole town of Anchorage, and the ocean waters beyond, glistening in the sun. What a beautiful way to say good bye. What a beautiful picture to paint in our memories.
From this point, the trail changed. It turned into a single trail and became steeper. You were climbing over rocks and trying not to slip on the loose gravel. Up and up you walked. Over one rock and onto another. At times one side of the trail was next to the mountain and the other fell down 100's of feet. A breathtaking sight but kind of scary.
You would come to a place that was too steep for regular climbing so they had laid railroad ties down for steps. These were covered with loose gravel so you had to walk carefully. Sometimes we would try to walk beside the ties because the dirt had washed out from between the ties, but that was impossible. A person would just slip down, loose their footing, so you would make your way back to the ties
It was amazing because you were going up at a fast pace but the altitude was staying low. When we got to the top, the altitude would be only 3,000 feet. Stan said that was the same altitude as McDonald, Kansas! So breathing was not difficult. It was just keeping your footing that was the problem.
We made our way up some 50 railroad tie stairs to our first flat area. You could look down and see Anchorage.
"Are you going on up" a man asked us. He and his wife were sitting on a flat rock resting.
"Well I guess. We came this far." Stan answered.
"What's it like the rest of the way" I asked looking up the mountain.
"We didn't try it. I'm 77 years old and figured I done good coming this far" he said
"Someone said there was a lot of stairs to climb." his wife piped in.
"Well guess we better get moving if we want to make it to the top before our daughter and her sons start down. They are up there somewhere." We said starting toward the trail.
They were right. There were steps. Lots of them. Over a hundred railroad ties lay up the mountain. Sometimes the dirt was washed out from between of them, making it hard to climb. You had to do some kind of balancing act. But you didn't dare to walk on the side of the ties. It was just too steep.
After a little bit we came to our last flat area before reaching the top. A number of people were sitting up here, some eating their lunch and some just talking, sitting on rocks, waiting for someone to come down from the top.
As we entered the last stretch of the trail there was a sign. It read: "Pets and young children are not encouraged beyond this point."
"Well are we going?" I asked Stan.
"We're not young children or pets so....yea we're going."
So off we set. More railroad ties, more loose gravel, more large rocks, and steep sides. The trail was getting more twisted now and steeper. Sometimes I had to use my hands to climb over the rocks. Then I would slip down and have to try again.
"I don't think you better go any further" came Stan's voice down to me.
"Why not?" I asked looking up at him, my hand covering my eyes because of the sun.
"It's pretty steep up here and you really can't tell where the trail is. You have to guess and just make your way over the rocks."
"Well I'll come a little bit further but if I think I should I'll turn around." I answered making my way up and over a large rock.
"OK Just be careful"
I made my way slowly up and up until all I could see ahead of me was large rocks. "Well maybe I better turn around and start down. After all going down will be a trick in itself."
And it was. You walked very slowly, taking baby steps. If you didn't your feet would be out from under you in no time. I made my way down to where people were sitting and walked over to a lady sitting alone on a rock. Sitting down we began to visit. Her husband was up on the top taking pictures with a drone. You could hear the hum of its motor. She had no idea how long he was going to be up there.
As we sat there on the rock visiting, the prettiest sight came to us. From no where a cloud came over the mountain, covering us in white for a little while. Everything was hid from our view. Even the mountain top where our husbands stood. Then it moved on and all cleared once again.
"I'm glad that passed over." my new friend said to me. "I was beginning to wonder how they would find their way down in the fog."
"Yea I know....me too." I answered.
A young man dressed in shorts and a tee shirt came hurrying passed us. On his back was a huge back pack. I would guess it weighted at least 30 pounds.
"Goodness what is he doing with such a heavy load? He must be a serious hiker." I asked my friend.
"There has been a number of those young men come by here. Someone told me that they are in the Air Force stationed north of Anchorage. They come up and down this mountain everyday for practice."
"What? Really? Wow!" I said looking after the young man who was making his way up the last stretch of trail
I had only just begun my decent down the mountain, when Carolyn, Keat and Kaber caught up with me. They came a charging down the steps, Kaber slipping and sliding on the loose gravel.
"Be careful" I hollered as he threw his arms out to catch himself.
"Oh he has only fallen a dozen times already." Keat said matter factually as they went on down the trail.
"Where's Grandpa?" I asked as they all three worked their way down the trail.
"He's coming" Carolyn said.
I waited there at the edge of the trail and sure enough here he came sliding down the slope. "Do you need a drink?" I asked.
"It wouldn't hurt. This is hard work."
After a long drink we started down. The trail soon smoothed out and came to a tee. Stan took the one to the right.
"Where are we going?" I asked standing still
"A guy on top told me a new way to the parking lot. Come on lets go."
It was beautiful. We were alone as most took the other way. Ahead of us lay a deep green valley running among the dark mountains. It was as if we were on top looking down through that valley. It followed us for a long way.
We turned the corner and to our right lay a huge patch of low growing blueberry bushes. Two ladies were bent over filling their ice cream buckets with berries. It didn't take Stan long to join them. He was in paradise! He picked and ate and then filled his hands with berries. As we were getting back on the trail, we saw evidence of someone else who loves berries. There was droppings from a bear laying among the blueberry bushes!
Back at the apartment we made a late lunch of left over pizza, eggs, bread, and cereal. We were cleaning out the refrigerator. We poured out the rest of the milk, carried out bags of trash, and packed away all our shoes, cloths, toothbrushes, and just things.
We walked out the door, locking it behind us, put our bags and case in the trunk, hopped into the back seat and drove away, remembering that little basement apartment forever.
She sat at the airport terminal, once again. This time the word United was above her on a sign hanging from the ceiling. She sat there, her back pack on the seat beside her, her one leg bent at the knee, her foot on the edge of the seat. She sat there relaxed, looking forward to her flight home among the clouds.
After a little bit an older couple came and sat across from her, and following them, a family of four carrying bags, and suitcases and jackets. They were returning home from a cruise. As they ate their hamburgers and fries, they shared their experience with her.
"We are now loading flight 34 for Houston. Please all passengers line up at gate 34" came the voice over intercom.
She got up, swung her back pack over one shoulder, said good bye to her new friends, and followed her family to the gate.
"Welcome aboard" the friendly hostess said as she walked past her through the door and down the aisle. She found her seat and slipped into the middle one next to her husband and a young girl from Florida.
Pushing her back pack under the seat in front of her, she sat back and started to visit with her new friend. The plane taxied out away from the building and to the end of the runway. She just sat there, visiting, as the engine started to roar, and they started to move forward slowly at first, then faster and faster, until she was lifted up and up and up into those beautiful clouds and the blue beyond. She was at peace. She was in love. She was a different person in heart.
She watched as the clouds below her slowly changed from a bright glow, to a twilight, and then to darkness, as the plane carried her south, away from beautiful Alaska.
She leaned back in her seat, and relived all her new "firsts" Yes she was coming back a new person. Oh she would still be herself, but she had learned something that would make her a happier person. A more content person. A person who was happy she was who she was. She had learned to believe in herself. She had learned that her victories didn't have to be seen by others all the time. The most important thing was that she felt them. That she knew that she could overcome and find victory within herself.
She learned that every experience in life, be it dark or sunshine, has a special beauty all of its own. Every human will have some type of experiences in their lifetime. The future is hid from her. This is a beautiful thing, because that way she can live in the moment, and she knew that she can trust that someone much greater than her holds her future. He will not give her more than she can bear. But she learned that she can live in the moment and when something hard hits, she will remember that she made it through the hardship before and she can make it through this one. She had lost her fear of life, you might say. She learned to trust. She had learned to step out of her comfort zone and explore. There was many wonders out there. There were many new opportunities to be a help to others.
So she just pushed back her seat, told her husband and little friend good night, closed her eyes and let her mind and heart fly out the window, and dance among the clouds. She was going home.
I rolled out of bed and started to pull the sheets off, rolled them up, and gave them a toss, landing them in the corner. Slowly I walked to the closet and after wipping the stray hair back from my face, I started to lay all our cloths out on the bed.
"Well guess all good things come to a end. Right?" Stan said sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Yep that's what they say. But I'm ready to go home. It's been a wonderful vacation but I'm a bit homesick. It's ok."
After a breakfast of cooked oatmeal, eggs and bacon, we put our backpacks in the trunk of our rental car and drove to the edge of town. One more hike. One more strainious hike. We were going to hike to the top of Flattop Mountain.
Carolyn drove up the mountain for about two miles and pulled into the parking lot at the bottom of a tall mountain covered with pines and low growing ground cover. We grabbed a bottle of water each, walked to the trail head and started up.
The trail was a wide open trail winding among low growing shrubs, green low growing ground cover, and odd shaped pines, their trunks hugging the ground. As we leisurely walked up and up, we met people on their way down. At this point of the trail, we didn't know that this hike would be the most dangerous hike we took while vacationing in Alaska.
About half way up, we came out into a wide, open area. The trees had disappeared and we were standing there in a rocky, gravel covered clearing. We walked over to the edge and looked down. We could see the whole town of Anchorage, and the ocean waters beyond, glistening in the sun. What a beautiful way to say good bye. What a beautiful picture to paint in our memories.
From this point, the trail changed. It turned into a single trail and became steeper. You were climbing over rocks and trying not to slip on the loose gravel. Up and up you walked. Over one rock and onto another. At times one side of the trail was next to the mountain and the other fell down 100's of feet. A breathtaking sight but kind of scary.
You would come to a place that was too steep for regular climbing so they had laid railroad ties down for steps. These were covered with loose gravel so you had to walk carefully. Sometimes we would try to walk beside the ties because the dirt had washed out from between the ties, but that was impossible. A person would just slip down, loose their footing, so you would make your way back to the ties
It was amazing because you were going up at a fast pace but the altitude was staying low. When we got to the top, the altitude would be only 3,000 feet. Stan said that was the same altitude as McDonald, Kansas! So breathing was not difficult. It was just keeping your footing that was the problem.
We made our way up some 50 railroad tie stairs to our first flat area. You could look down and see Anchorage.
"Are you going on up" a man asked us. He and his wife were sitting on a flat rock resting.
"Well I guess. We came this far." Stan answered.
"What's it like the rest of the way" I asked looking up the mountain.
"We didn't try it. I'm 77 years old and figured I done good coming this far" he said
"Someone said there was a lot of stairs to climb." his wife piped in.
"Well guess we better get moving if we want to make it to the top before our daughter and her sons start down. They are up there somewhere." We said starting toward the trail.
They were right. There were steps. Lots of them. Over a hundred railroad ties lay up the mountain. Sometimes the dirt was washed out from between of them, making it hard to climb. You had to do some kind of balancing act. But you didn't dare to walk on the side of the ties. It was just too steep.
After a little bit we came to our last flat area before reaching the top. A number of people were sitting up here, some eating their lunch and some just talking, sitting on rocks, waiting for someone to come down from the top.
As we entered the last stretch of the trail there was a sign. It read: "Pets and young children are not encouraged beyond this point."
"Well are we going?" I asked Stan.
"We're not young children or pets so....yea we're going."
So off we set. More railroad ties, more loose gravel, more large rocks, and steep sides. The trail was getting more twisted now and steeper. Sometimes I had to use my hands to climb over the rocks. Then I would slip down and have to try again.
"I don't think you better go any further" came Stan's voice down to me.
"Why not?" I asked looking up at him, my hand covering my eyes because of the sun.
"It's pretty steep up here and you really can't tell where the trail is. You have to guess and just make your way over the rocks."
"Well I'll come a little bit further but if I think I should I'll turn around." I answered making my way up and over a large rock.
"OK Just be careful"
I made my way slowly up and up until all I could see ahead of me was large rocks. "Well maybe I better turn around and start down. After all going down will be a trick in itself."
And it was. You walked very slowly, taking baby steps. If you didn't your feet would be out from under you in no time. I made my way down to where people were sitting and walked over to a lady sitting alone on a rock. Sitting down we began to visit. Her husband was up on the top taking pictures with a drone. You could hear the hum of its motor. She had no idea how long he was going to be up there.
As we sat there on the rock visiting, the prettiest sight came to us. From no where a cloud came over the mountain, covering us in white for a little while. Everything was hid from our view. Even the mountain top where our husbands stood. Then it moved on and all cleared once again.
"I'm glad that passed over." my new friend said to me. "I was beginning to wonder how they would find their way down in the fog."
"Yea I know....me too." I answered.
A young man dressed in shorts and a tee shirt came hurrying passed us. On his back was a huge back pack. I would guess it weighted at least 30 pounds.
"Goodness what is he doing with such a heavy load? He must be a serious hiker." I asked my friend.
"There has been a number of those young men come by here. Someone told me that they are in the Air Force stationed north of Anchorage. They come up and down this mountain everyday for practice."
"What? Really? Wow!" I said looking after the young man who was making his way up the last stretch of trail
I had only just begun my decent down the mountain, when Carolyn, Keat and Kaber caught up with me. They came a charging down the steps, Kaber slipping and sliding on the loose gravel.
"Be careful" I hollered as he threw his arms out to catch himself.
"Oh he has only fallen a dozen times already." Keat said matter factually as they went on down the trail.
"Where's Grandpa?" I asked as they all three worked their way down the trail.
"He's coming" Carolyn said.
I waited there at the edge of the trail and sure enough here he came sliding down the slope. "Do you need a drink?" I asked.
"It wouldn't hurt. This is hard work."
After a long drink we started down. The trail soon smoothed out and came to a tee. Stan took the one to the right.
"Where are we going?" I asked standing still
"A guy on top told me a new way to the parking lot. Come on lets go."
It was beautiful. We were alone as most took the other way. Ahead of us lay a deep green valley running among the dark mountains. It was as if we were on top looking down through that valley. It followed us for a long way.
We turned the corner and to our right lay a huge patch of low growing blueberry bushes. Two ladies were bent over filling their ice cream buckets with berries. It didn't take Stan long to join them. He was in paradise! He picked and ate and then filled his hands with berries. As we were getting back on the trail, we saw evidence of someone else who loves berries. There was droppings from a bear laying among the blueberry bushes!
Back at the apartment we made a late lunch of left over pizza, eggs, bread, and cereal. We were cleaning out the refrigerator. We poured out the rest of the milk, carried out bags of trash, and packed away all our shoes, cloths, toothbrushes, and just things.
We walked out the door, locking it behind us, put our bags and case in the trunk, hopped into the back seat and drove away, remembering that little basement apartment forever.
She sat at the airport terminal, once again. This time the word United was above her on a sign hanging from the ceiling. She sat there, her back pack on the seat beside her, her one leg bent at the knee, her foot on the edge of the seat. She sat there relaxed, looking forward to her flight home among the clouds.
After a little bit an older couple came and sat across from her, and following them, a family of four carrying bags, and suitcases and jackets. They were returning home from a cruise. As they ate their hamburgers and fries, they shared their experience with her.
"We are now loading flight 34 for Houston. Please all passengers line up at gate 34" came the voice over intercom.
She got up, swung her back pack over one shoulder, said good bye to her new friends, and followed her family to the gate.
"Welcome aboard" the friendly hostess said as she walked past her through the door and down the aisle. She found her seat and slipped into the middle one next to her husband and a young girl from Florida.
Pushing her back pack under the seat in front of her, she sat back and started to visit with her new friend. The plane taxied out away from the building and to the end of the runway. She just sat there, visiting, as the engine started to roar, and they started to move forward slowly at first, then faster and faster, until she was lifted up and up and up into those beautiful clouds and the blue beyond. She was at peace. She was in love. She was a different person in heart.
She watched as the clouds below her slowly changed from a bright glow, to a twilight, and then to darkness, as the plane carried her south, away from beautiful Alaska.
She leaned back in her seat, and relived all her new "firsts" Yes she was coming back a new person. Oh she would still be herself, but she had learned something that would make her a happier person. A more content person. A person who was happy she was who she was. She had learned to believe in herself. She had learned that her victories didn't have to be seen by others all the time. The most important thing was that she felt them. That she knew that she could overcome and find victory within herself.
She learned that every experience in life, be it dark or sunshine, has a special beauty all of its own. Every human will have some type of experiences in their lifetime. The future is hid from her. This is a beautiful thing, because that way she can live in the moment, and she knew that she can trust that someone much greater than her holds her future. He will not give her more than she can bear. But she learned that she can live in the moment and when something hard hits, she will remember that she made it through the hardship before and she can make it through this one. She had lost her fear of life, you might say. She learned to trust. She had learned to step out of her comfort zone and explore. There was many wonders out there. There were many new opportunities to be a help to others.
So she just pushed back her seat, told her husband and little friend good night, closed her eyes and let her mind and heart fly out the window, and dance among the clouds. She was going home.
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