Day 4
246ft gain/2350ft loss 8.3 miles. The return to Holden is basically uneventful, and we retrace our steps from the first day. When we break camp, everything is wet, and we don rain gear to keep from getting soaked from saturated brush on the trail down. I’m not into the trek for more than a half mile, though, and I have to shed all the raingear, as I’m unable to tell the difference between getting wet fromthe brush, or getting soaked with sweat on the inside…
The weather remains gloomy, and there isn’t much conversation or picture taking on the return trip, each guy lost in his own thoughts, the soundtrack of boots on rock and dirt, an occasional grunt of labor, and the creak of backpacks the only sounds to intrude on our thoughts as we bomb down the trail, intent on not missing our only ride back out. The bus leaves Holden at 1:45pm, to catch the ferry at Lucerne at 2:30pm, so we don’t want to be late.
Back in town, it’s a relief to rid ourselves of boots and backpacks, and relax, reclining in wooden chairs, waiting for the bus to arrive. It’s during this down time that we witnessed a scene that I’m sure would replay itself many times over in this young man’s lifespan…Here at the loading docks, near where we were seated, was a wooden push cart, with two bike wheels and a handle, for ferrying cargo and bags up and down the trails to bunkhouses.
…At this point, it seemed obvious to the girls that the game was over, so, with a toss of their shoulders, and a flip of the pony tail, they skipped off, singing some nonsensical little whimsy, leaving our young man laying disheveled on the ground, moaning softly…
It had three sides, and the front side was open, so you could just lift up on the handle, and all the baggage would slide out, like the bed on a dump truck. Well, the young man in question, thought it a good idea to climb into the cart, and have his three “attendants”, (all females, of course!) push him around! Well, that was all good, until they decided they wanted a turn, and that’s when things turned sour, for him.
No amount of cajoling or reasoning was going to convince him that his turn was up, and after a few, “It’s not just about you!”, and “ I’m gonna tell dad’s!”, he got summarily dumped out on the ground, and had his hand crunched between the hard pan and the cart. Naturally, this brought forth a bellow, and a “you did that on purpose!” scream….There he was, laying on the ground, holding his injured wing up for inspection, all the while complaining that they crushed his finger…At this point, it seemed obvious to the girls that the game was over, so, with a toss of their shoulders, and a flip of the pony tail, they skipped off, singing some nonsensical little whimsy, leaving our young man laying disheveled on the ground, moaning softly…
…After getting a chance to watch the little twerp later on, I opted for the latter, as he seemed a painfully slow learner…
Funny, how it seems a microcosm of adult life, the girls skipping off whistling, while the young lad lay in a crumpled heap in the dirt, mumbling to himself. I had to wonder, if he learned anything from this little train wreck, or if he would continue to repeat the same mistakes over and over again? After getting a chance to watch the little twerp later on, I opted for the latter, as he seemed a painfully slow learner…
…It’s possible that I’ve watched too many movies…
Finally, the bus arrived, and we got the chance to witness from this perspective, the debarking of the bus…This time, they played bongo drums, with lots of clapping and shouting, and I couldn’t help but be reminded a little of welcoming one’s dinner to camp…I know, that sounds morbid and all, and these are friendly people, but remember…It’s possible that I’ve watched too many movies…
Once back at the dock, the day turned sunny and warm, just in time for our boat ride back to Chelan, and it capped off a great hike, with many memories…Almost 20 miles into the Glacier Peak Wilderness, and all it felt like was as if we had just scratched the surface of a magnificent area, a place that if it weren’t so remote, would probably be overrun with people… So, I’m thinking that perhaps it’s in the best interest of this serenely beautiful place that it continues to keep up its solid granite ramparts, to keep out all except for the hardiest of individuals…