The Great Silence (AKA Matterhorn Peak: Overwhelming Silence 7/7)

“It was beautiful. The pinkness vanished and then it was all purple dusk and the roar of the silence was like a wash of diamond waves going through the liquid porches of our ears, enough to soothe a man a thousand years.”(Kerouac, Jack. Dharma Bums. New York: Penguin Group, 1986, P.71)

Time to wrap this one up with a few pictures looking down.

That’s a lake one encounters if the more direct class 3 route is taken.

One slip and it is all over with. One of the quotes that Kerouac constantly uses in the book is, “Its impossible to fall off mountains.” Well, in the real world I am not totally sure that is true, and do not really want to found out. Although I think I know what he was saying, but I would suggest he did not get high enough…or maybe he was too high. ;)

This is looking down back at the pass where the small lake/pond is. So, after all this, it is time to head back down there. Overall, the hike is in the 12-14 hour range. Total elevation gained is around 5,500 ft. to get to the top (12, 279ft.) in about 5 miles.

 “When you get to the top of the mountain, keep climbing.”(Ibid.)

It’s been some years since I did the whole thing. In the past couple of years there was always something preventing me from doing it again. One year I spent a lot of time getting in mental and physical shape for it only to have the Yosemite controlled fire that got out of control ruin everything. Other times I just lacked the motivation or ending up being sick. At this point, I am rather content with what I did with it. These days it is not as important to me as it once was. If I never get back to some of those places I showed then I can live with it. But, all it takes is me waking up one day under the right conditions and saying, “Let’s do it!”

So, this mountain and hike is really the meaning behind everything I have tried to do on this blog throughout the years. The whole notion of getting away from the noise and taking in the quiet. There is a little too much talk in the world at times. As I like to say when nothing is getting done, “Less talk, more action.”

This series for me represents another transition phase. Some things are behind me, but not so far behind that you can’t see them anymore. There was a certain look and feel I liked this blog to have for the longest time based on theme I was giving it. It's time for some change. It will be nothing major. Maybe just changing a few colors.

There are one or two other things I want to say before the end of the month, so I will be back soon.