white mountain air

May 9

My nipples are so hard they hurt. Standing outside of my truck rubbing them, breathing the white mountain air, watching traffic pass. There are remnants of snow here and the roar of a nearby creek hidden in the trees is the first thing I hear when I open my door. The AT Oil Temp light went on a minute ago so I'm going to stop and let it cool. Put the table back together and put some things in order in the back. Been climbing steadily at 40kms/h for 25 minutes. 

 

The icy blue Lilloet river was nice to wake up to, and it was warmer down there. I put on my sherpa socks under my gumboots, and wore my wrestling suit bathing suit and hot pink housecoat to wander around the campground at 7am. Ultimate style. Stared at the passing river, and mist rising up the hillsides. Put a bunch of stuff away, trying to make more room, more order, and then went for a soak. Perfect perfect perfect. A spider that was dipping its toe in fell in when I made some ripples, and I got the broom to fish him out. Not so much because I'm a super peaceful all animals have a right to live Buddhist, but because I couldn't have relaxed with the possibility where that leggy creature might wash up on my shores. Sank back in up to my neck and waited for the last few weeks to fall away from the fibres between the muscles all over me. Air dried afterwards, ate some breakfast, then paid the fee, and hit that crazy gravel road again. There was a Stl'atl'imx gathering in Skookumchuck, and I passed an elderly woman carrying the feather in for her portion of the run. I flashed my lights and waved and then gunned it for the last good portion of road. Instead of stopping to let my truck cool, I turned onto the hill and began the climb.