Long out of print, this guide
summons me to the reaches
of Glacier Peak—
through fields of avalanche
lilies, red swirls
of late season blueberries.
The time nears
when memories serve
as better boots.
Shall I present
this trusted companion
to my young friend
who seeks answers
within these
mountains?
Here.
(No. 100 in a series of responses to Han-Shan’s Songs of Cold Mountain)
Routes and Rocks, an early publication of The Mountaineers, was a marvel. Crafted by two zany (and ballsy) USGS field geologists, it is a soulful work of art, and a great guide to three quadrangles worth of the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area in the North Cascades. This is one of those sacred places of endless beauty that hones your soul. Having climbed into this vastness many times, I have exquisite memories of the place, many of which are fine candidates for my dying thought.
(Numeric reference to Han-shan’s poem reflects the order of presentation in Burton Watson’s translation, presented as Cold Mountain, Columbia University Press, 1970.)
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