Why I Solo Hike the Wild Places at 70
I’m both lost on the trail and finding my way through the darkness
I hike alone in the dark. In the wild places.
I’m neither reckless nor fearless. I’m chasing light.
Sometimes, I’m waiting behind my camera for the sun to gild a mountain top. Other times, I’m hoping to catch a moose feeding on pondweeds. Now and then, something so surprising happens; I forget all about my camera and stand in silent wonder.
One summer morning, I set up for a landscape shot I’d scouted the day before. I turned off my headlamp. Shapes in the dark were taking form.
Nothing to do but wait for the right light.
Or so I thought.
I was about to take a few test shots when I felt a rumble rise from the ground, up through my heavy boots. I live in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Earthquakes are common. This was different. The steading pounding told me a herd of elk was thundering toward me.
I was at a wildlife preserve about an hour’s drive from home. I knew it supported a herd of elk, but I’d never seen them. I raised my binoculars. If I was in their path, I might have time to get back to my Jeep. I spotted them about two football fields ahead on the trail, running across and turning south…
