After being missing since Saturday, the body of a local hiker was found Wednesday night. My stomach has been twisted all week after hearing the news of dispatched SAR teams on Sunday. The hiker set out on the same trail Kona and I took to celebrate the Summer Solstice. We took all of our summer high-altitude hikes in the area and it's been the destination of long day hikes for me for some time. The tragedy hits close to home.
Rest in peace, our kindred spirit.
Never loved your plains
your gentle valleys
your drowsy country lanes
and pleached alleys
I want my hills the trails
that scorn the hollow
up up the ragged trail
where few will follow
Up over wooded crests
and mossy boulders
strong thigh and heaving chest
and swinging shoulder
so let me on my way
by nothing daunted
until at close of day
I stand exalted
High on my hills of dreams
the hills that know me
and then up there I'll see
the lands below me
How pure at vesper time
the far bells chiming
God give me strength to climb
and hills for climbing
~Lyrics from Hills by Nightingale.
21 comments:
O how horrible! *sending you and Kona a hug*
Oh, Im so sorry. His poor family. Diana
Oh, we are so very sorry to hear this. Our hearts go out to his family and friends. But your poem is a Most Beautiful tribute.
Gentle wiggles and wags,
Mayzie
What a sad story. His friends and family will need much strength in the days ahead.
The poem you shared is beautiful.
That is really hard to hear. It's hard to think about going to do something so fun, or even routine, ending in tragedy.
May God be with the hikers family
I added myself to follow your blog.
God Bless You :-)
~Ron
Oh dear, I'm sorry for his family.
It's a beautiful tribute!
Oh, Amber, I can only imagine how you are feeling about this. The lyrics from the song you put up are very beautiful, and I am sure comforting to other hikers.
Take good care of yourself and Kona. We will be thinking warm thoughts for you both.
Hugs,
Stella and her Mom
I can feel how unsettled this news has made you. It is sad, so sad, to learn of someone's tragedy that occurred while they did what they loved.
I hope that it spurs you to seize the day (which you usually do, I think), and consider buying something like a Spot so that you can signal 911 if you need help when you're out there.
This sort of thing happens around here too. Oddly, just yesterday, I was remembering such an event as I rode a trail where a tragedy occurred a few years ago.
Beautiful lyrics.
There are so many searches in this area and most turn out to be simple. But when it goes terribly wrong, it always so personally devastating. Take care.
Yikes, that's awful. I'm so sorry for his family and loved ones. What a terrible thing to have happen.
I saw that in the news and it was so sad, when she was first missing it sure sounded like it would turn out well so it was so sad when they found the body......scary when it hits so close to home...
Occasionally tragedy happens on our trails, too, and it releases a spurt of fear and caution in me for awhile. I often hike alone, especially since my Golden died. You didn't mention if the hiker met with a natural death on the trail or was killed. I hope the former and that he was very happy in the moment his life ended.
How very sad for your community to lose someone like this. I was just thinking about how I haven't seen any blog posts from you lately, and then came to your blog to see this.. wow.
I'm late, but I too am so sorry to hear about the loss of the hiker. I hope it was an accident and not something more sinister. I wouldn't want you to feel afraid to go on one of your favorite trails.
You did provide a fitting tribute.
How are your injuries?
That is indeed sad. I try to think about it like this ... if all of us, who didn't really know the lost hiker, feel even a tiny bit of grief upon hearing the news, then maybe we can lessen the family's pain ... just a little.
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Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain.
I feel so sorry. It's really a sad story.
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