A walk in the woods
The dreariness of the day limits the amount of hikers
The quiet of the forest
Streams formed by the rain of yesterday
Some trickling down the path we walk on
Others in torrents, slowly eroding the sands beneath our feet
Boulders covered with moss and lichen
Slimy to the touch, slippery to traverse
Do we take the longer hike around the ridge to the top
Or the shorter, straight up on the wet boulders
The longer has the view, the shorter has the adventure
All roads lead to Rome, so we take the long way up, the short way down.
Fog descends from above to cover the vista view
It plays peek-a-boo with us, teasing us with glimpses of the lake
Our choice was good, we get to see sites that the other hikers miss in the fog
The way back is steep
Jackets get tied around our waists
Sweat drenches our shirts as we complete our journey
A passerby takes a picture of the three of us.
It is the only one of us three together on our week-long trip.
Back to the solitude of our cottage
Lunch, a rest and then back on the road again.
