The dynamism of the mountains
Thrilled at the prospect of a night beneath Mont Blanc, we skulked off the path and made camp amongst a scattering of alder shrub. It was dark, yet the soft radiance of the moon illuminated the snow-drenched crest of the White Mountain with a subtle, sapphire glow. In the low light, she was humble.
When morning came, we unzipped the tent and stared up at the mountain. With the light of day now washed across her contours, her angles were raw, her glaciers bleeding and her atmosphere volatile. What a stark contrast she was from the day previous.
At a glance, the White Mountain is strong and definite. But have no doubt, she has a dynamism that could conquer a storm in the desert and the waves through the sea.
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All of your posts are so great! Every time I read them I actually feel as though I’m experiencing the same things that you are writing about, and you have an uncanny ability to describe nature and your experiences so poetically. I always look forward to reading your posts.
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Kelsey, thank you for your kind words. From your posts, it seems like our appreciations are similar.
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I’ve been reading this off and on for the last month or so. Your post made me think of it. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/nov/13/guardianfirstbookaward2003.gurardianfirstbookaward
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I just read the first few paragraphs and I am already gripped. Robert’s description and build-up of place and atmosphere is wonderful. I look forward to reading the rest. Thank you Martha.
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You’re welcome! He has a beautiful writing style, I think.
I don’t know if you’ve read anything by George Schaller, but he’s maybe my favorite naturalist/hiking/mountain writer of all. My favorite is Stones of Silence.
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I have read a little of his work, and yes, he is brilliant. I am a great admirer of David Brendan Hopes, specifically A Sense of the Morning.
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Thanks! I’ll look for that.
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I have a strong desire to read a novel by you… this is beautiful.
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Thank you Ellie. My memoir, A Walk to the Water (see ‘Books’ for synopsis), is currently with an editor, so I hope to ready in the coming months. As I have already expressed, I could say the same of your writing 🙂
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Interestingly, I just posted a reflection on my mountain experience on my VirtuallyRiki blog minutes before seeing this post. I even included a sketch that shares some similarities to yours. On the same wavelength it seems. 😉
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I just took a look at your post. I love the sketch. It certainly seems as though we have similar feelings on the matter.
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