Bald Mountain

I went on an adventure today. Yep. Climbed Bald Mountain. I went alone, and never saw another person. It was great. Beautiful Views.

It's been a long time since I've been there. I used to ride my motorcycle up there when I was a teenager. I didn't think I would recognize it, but although it has changed a lot, there's a lot that stayed the same too.

The most significant change is of course all the antenna's up there. I have no idea what they all are, but there are tons of them. One of them (the biggest one) belongs to United States Cellular, according to the signage. The rest I didn't check out that closely.

One thing I didn't expect to see was the old fire tower. It's still there. The bottom steps are gone, so you have to be a monkey to get up into it. I made a lame attempt and gave up. Since I was all alone I didn't think it would be a good idea to fall off it and break my leg.

I explored quite a bit at the top. I found some old concrete footings that I think might have been where the old chairlift stopped, but I can't be sure. It looks so different without snow. I thought that I could make out some of the old trails, but again I can't be sure. Really made me search the old memory banks. And it turns out I have lost quite a bit of that information. I was trying to remember the names of the trails and I just couldn't. If I was in the right place I didn't remember remember it being that steep. We must have been crazy to ski down that mountain. It seems like it is growing up a lot. If you didn't know what to look for I don't think you would ever guess there had been a ski mountain there.

Anyway, the walk up there brought back a lot of memories. Rick and I spent a lot of time on that mountain. I remember walking there with our skis, a two mile walk from our house in the dead of winter. I remember getting stuck on the chairlift. I remember the rope tow. I remember the tee bar. I remember the old Ski-doo snowmobiles the employees used to get around the mountain. I remember jet sticks, the coolest invention ever.

All in all it was a good hike. Great exercise. That is one steep hill. Good for the body, good for the mind.

Stuff

So I've done a lot of thinking since I was born. Here's something I just can't seem to get past. It seems I'm almost always in a state of wanting something I don't have. I know this realization is not going to go down as the most original thought in the world, but I still can't help thinking about it. It just bugs me why I'm like that. Was it the way I was raised? Is it because I'm an American? Am I just stupid (rhetorical, please don't answer)?

I get great joy out of watching my granddaughter push aside an expensive toy to play with the box it came in. Here I am a grandpa, supposedly setting an example and teaching my children but really, it's them that hold the valuable lessons, unspoiled by our society.

OK, now things are starting to come into focus. Fredrick the Field Mouse was always one of my favorite books. I've just now put together the fact that Fredrick was a mouse that was able to find great joy in the simplest things, like a day of sunshine. The same concept that keeps coming back to me time and time again.

Somehow I need to learn these lessons and learn to enjoy what is here and now. I should probably sell everything I own and move to a cabin in the woods, grow my own food, yada yada. But I want to continue blogging about it, so I'll need to keep my computer. In fact I may need a new one. Yeah one with huge batteries and satellite Internet so I can connect from anywhere in the world. Then I'll need a new motorcycle. One with storage space for hauling all the computer equipment. Of course if I get a new motorcycle I'll need new gear, a matching helmet, etc. Of course I'll want to document this all in pictures, so I'll probably need some more camera gear. Oh and of course I'll want Marsha to come with me, so she'll need a new 4-Wheeler, and . . .

I'm hopeless.

I'm Back

Yep. Time to start blogging again. It's been a while. Guess I haven't had much to say. But now I do.

Speaking of Motorcycles, I got another one. A 2008 Suzuki B-King. Loving it. My 10 day plate ran out, so I haven't ridden for a while, but I hope to get it registered this week. The weather hasn't been that great here, but hopefully that will be changing.

Anyway, I'm planning some adventures this summer, and I'm planning on blogging about them. Stay tuned.