No more West
I spent over ten days in the Pacific Northwest and did not get soaked once in the rain. Well, at least, not literally. Metaphorically though, I came back drenched in the wilderness of the region.
Even in Seattle, a city of moderate size, the sea gulls claimed their corners convincingly. The trees fought for space on inclined streets and the rain hid the mountains at will. The city chose none of the Californian vanity but remained tastefully uppity. The coffee roasters let the aroma through the streets as we wandered thoroughly. The space needle was a disappointment, the mono-rail to it was even more so. And yet, it didn’t matter. Seattle had never raised our expectations and we never felt let down.
As we headed further north east, leaving the moderate hustle and bustle of the city, the mountains dominated the landscape. Ragged and stark, they shot out of the ground, cascading over each other priming for attention. Their glory was subject to the clouds that would appear each day and threaten magical views. We hiked up Sourdough Mountain with a sheer rise of 5000 feet. The dense tree canopy led to doubts if there was a view at the end of the hike. Yet, as we finally made it up, the trees made way for unbelievable spectacle of glacier-clad mountains and turquoise lakes! National parks are best understood after a seriously tiring hike.
From the cascades, we went southward to the Mount Rainier. On our first day there, we didn’t see it. And we wondered, if we ever would. The guide books stated cases where the clouds had covered the mountain for weeks! We got up the next day and headed into the park early. And lo behold, we lay witness to the fog burning away and to a majestic volcanic mountain in full sight of the sun. As we started on the pebble creek trail, paradise seemed all around us. We went as far as two miles away from the base camp for the summit and the headed back, full in our hearts. Until then, the shy mountain went back into the mountain and that was that.
And in Portland, it took only a couple of hours for us to be OK with random body piercings, violet hair and strange tattoos. The sheer number of weird in that city numbed newbies like us. Every store was local and we certainly weren’t. On a walking tour full of surprises, we weren’t even amazed to see the world’s smallest public park and the strangest statue that is invisible. The food carts kept us well fed and the gorgeous industrial breweries kept us hydrated. We traveled a large city on foot, bus and trams although it wasn’t European in feel. It was just different!
Gravity powered
Fittingly ending our trip where Lewis and Clark ended theirs, I spared a thought on the adventure this country is. After visiting 39 of her 50 states, I can’t be sure if this country is for young men either. As we flew back through time zones and the distracting in-flight entertainment, I realized that this country’s size remains daunting as ever.
Rather, I re-affirmed my relative irrelevancy in the scheme of things and the desperate need for me to change that.
