[McPilchuck]

Upon The Trail, was conceived after spending a few nights alone within the Boulder River Wilderness (how I love it so) of the Cascade Mountains, while contemplating life and a man's walk through it. Men past forty Get up nights, Look out at city lights And wonder Where they made the wrong turn And why life is so long --- Ed Sissman I would add: Wander in Nature's Wild - primeval forests and atop the snow-covered mountains, witness the sunset and sunrise, drink the brook, touch the earth, and thou will find the right path . . . McPilchuck

[Karen]

Hi McPil ... who is Ed Sissman and where can I read more of his poetry? Karen

[McPilchuck]

Hi Karen, The Ed Sissman quote came from a book John Eldredge wrote called Wild at the Heart...Discoverng The Secret of a Man's Soul, published by Thomas Nelson Publishers...who I may court to publish some of my Absurd Wild Poet of Wood and More Mountain Blatherings text. The Eldredge book was loaned to me by my neighbor, a nice single blond lady who went thru a rather nasty divorse just after she and her husband purchased the house, seems he had a girlfriend and got her pregnant. At any rate, she kept the house caused she loved it so and its gardens. She constantly sees me going off into the mountains with my gear and visits my web site to see new stuff, she said here this book reminds me of you and what you are about. I was a bit flattered, but more so humbled. I would bet Ed Sissman writings are in a book somewhere, so you might do a google search. In writing, I have learned many things, but the most important thing is to do it from the heart, that I think you already relate to.....Mountain Poem For Howard: http://www.alpinequest.com/mtnpoem.htm McPil

[Karen]

McPil, I thought you might enjoy this .... Robe Canyon There is no hurry you stand in one spot a million years if necessary it took a million years for the clouds to make the sky lonely a million years to carve gold into rock faces but moments for the miners to die, the stones coming loose in their hands, the dreams coming loose in their minds, their boots slipping on starlight seconds for their cabins to fall under the avalanches thundering down Mystery Hill seconds for the railroad to die, seconds for the tunnels to fall for no good reason other than the river doing things the engineers said rivers wouldn't do, and the men starting all over again, building tunnel number 3 over the bones of their friends 80 years later the builders are gone, only the railroad grade loses itself in muffled woods and pages of stone, a few bits and pieces of rotting trestle cling to rock no one could blast away for good now there is no railroad only a rough trail that lead's to the rivers terrible answer and tunnels so scary we run through holding hands, holding our breaths, running for the gray-green light at the end of the tunnel where the ferns stand like the ghosts of the men who were here before us, and laughing, coming out the other side, into slide alder and the worst rain this side of the cascades Karen

[McPilchuck]

Karen, very good, very good indeed! I like it!!! McPil

[Mike E.]

McPilchuck, Sorry to say this, but this Sissman guy is a downer. If he's still around, he needs to get out in the woods more often and quit waking up to look at city lights. His attitude sounds a little like Hemingway ...artsy but his trail led him off a cliff. How about we re-write his verse to: Men past forty Get up nights, Look out at star lights And wonder Where the trail will lead tomorrow And why life is so short. I like that better. He should drink a beer, walk farther and smile more. By the way, what's your favorite...meadows, lakes or peaks ? Mike E.

[Cobra]

When you stumble on a meadow in the mountain when you arent' expecting it! Lakes and peaks are nice as well. There is more to do at a lake.

[McPilchuck]

Mike E, the reason as to why I added the piece I did, for all too often men (people) know not the value of being happy or living a good life. They need more fresh air as in nature as I related... McPil