#range of light

Artista: S. Carey Álbum: Range of Light Ano: 2014 Faixas/Tempo: 09/36min Estilo: Indie Folk/Ambient pop Data de Execução: 05/07/2022 Nota: 7,0 Melhor Música: Fire-scene

By Howard Shapiro

I was glancing over some current trail blogs and noticed that many people are  now heading into the Sierras. They have either made it to Kennedy Meadows or are  past it and well on their way. This got me thinking about passing through this same spot. The owner of the Kennedy Meadows store has changed and there appears to be a new burger place down the road but the same feeling of accomplishment and relief arriving at Kennedy Meadows remain.

We were section hiking in the quest to eventually complete the PCT. My hiking partner Rees and I had made our way through some very dry areas as we headed north. Like the hikers out there today, we passed through burned areas that simply made the fires we had read about or seen or news footage of, all the more real. Sadly those areas are getting to be more and more of the landscape one passes through. This summer appears to hold the same threat that has played itself out over the last ten years or so. The threat is real and all it will take is a random lightening strike, a tossed cigarette, or an unattended campfire. 

As I scan the current blogs there are consistent themes that resonate with me. First there is the heat. Things are heating up in southern and central California. As the temperatures rise things will get ever drier. I remember times packing so much water because we couldn’t be sure where the next reliable water would become available. Currently there has been late snow in the Sierras so that will provide more water flow in a few more of the streams and creeks. 

The places the hikers have passed through immediately take me back there and I can almost hear the rushing sound of flowing water. In the next moment I can also see the fetid troughs that hold  ‘spring water. Water and heat, those two variables play a huge role for people hiking the PCT right now. 

Those places the hikers have passed through immediately take me back. Whether it is a picture in the San Gabriels or a burger in Kennedy Meadows. It is amazing how these images transport me and confirm my memories.  Now so many are headed toward the high passes in the Range of Light. For many they have found a ‘groove’ in the daily routines of waking early and walking far. Their confidence is high and matches their enthusiasm. 

One other theme is the comfort that comes from walking with another. I relish my time hiking with Rees. Our conversations push me to think more deeply and get closer to how I feel about people, events, and experiences in my life. Many of the blogs mention the other hikers that have joined up with. They express a similar comfort I have felt in knowing I am not entirely alone. Walking with others provides for a ‘group think’ when conditions or other issues present themselves. A simple sense of security in knowing we are in this together. 

As the summer fast approaches there are many who have walked more than 800 miles. They have essentially completed nearly a third the distance of the entire trail. I am intrigued by their progress and their experiences. As I can, I will monitor progress and surely have more thoughts and reflections that I can share in future posts. For now, I am wishing all good things to everyone who is out there. This is your time to make your own memories and enjoy the comfort of knowing you are not alone. 

Crown The Pines by S. Carey from Range Of Light (2014)

I am in love with this place But I fear for it's grace Shoot for the sky Opens up like the sea And the resinous high Bloodlines and divines Will my kids see the trees? Will the glen fall on me?

I was hoping you would walk with me Down the Aisles of Light gallery Leave a child with legacy We lay, we lay, we lay All day

S. Carey - Fire-Scene (Range of Light, 2014)