A Special View

We finally reached the lagoon at the end of the trail and began to seek out rocks to claim as our resting spot of the afternoon. By this point in our journey along the trail, Deema, Hannan and I were exhuasted from the sun and heat and starving. We were ready to plant our roots and enjoy the weather, some water, and our tacos. I stopped to show them one of my favourite rocks on the lagoon, where you get a beautiful view of both the main pass of the river and other rocks, where other hikers had stopped to rest as well. The people around us were from all age groups. I saw families with young children that made me recall my own family when I was young, and I saw teenagers laughing and sunning themselves in swimsuits and drinking cheap beer. It felt sweet and joyful to see a full spectrum of life around me.

Back in high school, my friends and I would spread out with blankets in this space. We would chat for hours, dip our feet in the water, and lie down and stare into the tree tops when a lull came over the crowd. I laughed recounting a story to Deema and Hannan of how I came after school with friends one day and we discovered that there were water snakes at our feet. A friend felt something nibble on his toes, and without another word we lept out of the water screaming and giggling.

Links to videos:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DS7l6330fOH2QINsVnUmB3q399hlbpux/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VKZeJ_0oPivEijHNesl5t4WZquAjGiQ5/view?usp=sharing