I have a lot to cover since August. I still haven't figured that last trip out. Or I have and I just can't write it down. I saw Emily (from the Wrangells trip) last month in Hawaii. She took me hiking in the rain in the canyon she lives in. There is a bamboo forest, there is slippery green stuff everywhere, there is her presence: she is calmly moving through her personal tragedy, with what appears to be grace and confidence, if not speed. I think that is what I find inspiring about her. Or at least one of the things. I think also that I am impressed by people who just go for it with an activity that I have been working at since I was a child. That trip was her first backpack.
Tonight I am in Bakersfield. On my way to Death Valley, it is the day after Christmas. Xochitl is with me, so is my Dad, and my sister Nina. It is quite a crew. Xo has far more camping experience than Nina. Xo is 4.5 years old, Nina is 38. My Dad is nervous like Nina, but he has done more camping, not by choice. He had to go camping when he was in the military. He also did not choose to join the military.
It is supposed to be a bit colder than normal. The problem with winter, even in Death Valley is that a little colder than normal can be scary and unbearable. I'm hoping by making it bearable, fun, and comfortable, it will be less scary. Maybe no scary at all by the end. However, this is a huge challenge with my team, we'll see how it goes.
My goals include recapturing one of those starry night moments with Xo. It was a 3:00a.m. pee wake up call and when she was done I had her sit with me in the open door of the tent and asked her to look up at the stars with me. There were so many. A carpeted ceiling. Compared to that, where we live in the city, there are no stars. A bit of Orion and Big Dipper here and there, but nothing like these wintry, moonless, desert nights. And I got to hug her in the cold open air and talk about stars.
