• AT HAND: Deuce Lee, The Big Dipper
• LOCATION: Arapaho National Forest, CO
• DATES: July 11-13, 2015
• STATS: 3 days/2 nights, 19.3 miles – 5,600 feet EG

“There is no God, no universe, no human race, no earthly life, no heaven, no hell. It is all a Dream, a grotesque and foolish dream. Nothing exists but you. And You are but a Thought – a vagrant Thought, a useless Thought, a homeless Thought, wandering forlorn among the empty eternities.”

–Mark Twain

The only truth is that which we know on an individual level. Our mind (and nothing else) can be counted on to provide the reality within which we exist, so faith is required to believe that the sensory inputs that we receive are valid. But what if they aren’t, or our faith falters? How do we make sense of a world where everyone’s perceptions are incongruent? By accepting that chaos is the norm, that entropy is inherent and beautiful, and that empathy is required to get along in this life with a clear conscience.

The three “Cloud Mountains” are constantly in your sight, sneaking into your peripheral vision, intruding on your concentration when you’re pitching a tent or measuring out water for a freeze-dried abomination. Their shadow looms large in the Never Summer Wilderness, a hidden gem that dips into RMNP, travels along the CDT, and is known for pervasive snow and wildlife in abundance. Blue and Parika Lakes are prime campsites along this loop and if you have extra time, a short side trip to Bowen Lake is warranted. Exceptional vistas, unblemished meadows and snow-capped peaks abound.

Of consequence: Holes to heaven; deep philosophical crust; white hot cold; lakefront views; shedding in the watershed; embolism realism.