I'm What You Call a Writer

Chapter 1: A Dark, Dark Place

That coastal wind. The gentle breeze was nice, and it was my consolation prize and the view too. The steep trail became more strenuous the closer I was to the peak. I had to be on a constant lookout for poison oak with warning signs posting along the trail. I could almost feel it. Almost there. The peak was just a few feet away. After 4 miles of walking, I finally—I mean finally—arrived at Verna Dunshee Trail, the summit trail that encircled the highest point in Mount Tam.

That feeling was something I couldn't begin to describe, something I couldn't put into words, and something I couldn't wait to experience again and again. Great, awesome, amazing—these were just some of the words I could think of. It was all of the above and then more. It was something people must truly have to experience themselves in order to fully understand.

At 2571 feet, the sight was beyond spectacular. Every time I was at the top, the view was different in ways unimaginable and incomprehensible. It always gave me a pleasant surprise or two. The new perspectives, the new point of views, the new standpoints. I would notice things that I didn't see before. The last time I was at the summit, I didn't see much of anything because of the dense fog. Now I could see more of the big picture and could look further out with no obstructions.

I could see Muir Woods and the rest of Mount Tam region. The implausible views of Richardson Bay and San Francisco Bay, the City, Angel Island, Alcatraz Island, Treasure Island and the Bay Bridge, Marin Headlands. Look a little further, the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and to the east, I could see the East Bay Foothills, the Port of Oakland, and Mount Diablo standing firm in the far backdrop. What a spectacular view! So thankful to be able to call the Bay Area home.

It was getting late in the day. As sunset was fast approaching, I decided it was time to go. Leaving the summit's Visitor Center and the State Park's main point of interest, I found abundance of nuts and flowering plants on the way back. There would always be another time for more bird watching, and those hearty oak laurels gave me more reasons for another return trip. 

As I was heading downhill, I saw a group of aggressive bees hovering in circles and most annoyingly, hindering my path on the trail. They didn't attack me or anything, at least not yet. Though they sure didn't look too friendly. I was thinking maybe I should turn back around and find a different trail to head down. Or maybe I should take a leap of faith and jump over them. In that moment of indecisiveness and unmindful distractions, I slipped a little, just a little, and then I lost my footing and my balance. I was falling down from the edge of a cliff.

It happened so fast that I literally had no time to react.

Falling down and tumbling down Mount Tam wasn't part of my thrill-seeking plan. Loose leaves on the foothills were also sliding down rapidly on top of me. I was trying to hold on to something, anything I could put my hands on. With nature's gravitational force hauling me down, I completely pulled out those poison ivies from its roots. Then I grasped those loose branches, which were both sticky and pointy. Those weren't easy on the hands, by any mean. The more I struggled, the faster I rolled downhill. Lastly, I was able to catch a small break. I landed on a hillside short tree. My backpack was too heavy. It didn't do me any good. It only added more weight to my body. This dwarf tree wasn't going to be strong enough for all these weights. I was trying to hold onto it for dear life.

I thought about letting my backpack go, in order for me to survive and live another day. Let me put it this way. Desperate time needed a desperate measure. There were instances where people had fallen to their death while hiking out in the wilderness. I could very well be one of them, but I didn't want to. I bravely let go of my backpack, as I watched it rolled all the way to the bottom of the mountain.