Page 21 - Oasis in the Sky

Blizzard
My goal was to climb Floyd’s peak in Northeast Arizona. My uncle’s name
was Floyd, and I was climbing the peak for him. He broke his back in his early
twenties, and just being able to walk with braces and crutches was a major ac-
complishment for him. So, being his namesake, I wanted to climb the mountain
for him because he could not do it himself.
The season was the dead of winter and the snow was deep, so I was prepared
for cold weather. What I did not know was that one of the worst blizzards of Ari-
zona’s recent history was blowing in. The blizzard was on the other side of the
mountain, so I didn’t see it moving in.
My father dropped me off at what would be my pickup location. I estimated
it would take five hours to make the climb and back, so he would be waiting for
me in five hours. The plan was for him to wait ten minutes and return every
hour until I was back.
I had my two dogs with me: Shadow, a border collie, and Silk, a border col-
lie/husky mix. The dogs were wearing their packs with water and emergency
first aid kits and other necessities. I had a pack with emergency supplies, food,
and a change of clothes. I was wearing my cold weather gear, and because of
the snow, I was wearing snowshoes as well. I thought I was prepared for what-
ever the mountain threw at me, so with a heart full of optimism and determina-
tion, a sense of adventure and exploration, I left the safety of the familiar and
started off into the unknown.
The wind was blowing and snow flurries began in earnest as I began my en-
deavor. At first, I could still see the mountain, but the weather was moving in fast,
and within half an hour, the mountain was obscured from view by the clouds.
If I had had good sense, I would have turned around and headed back for the
road, but that presupposes that I had any sense to start with.
Visibility deteriorated to thirty or forty yards, and I was hiking through a
pristine wilderness—me and my two faithful companions were all that existed
in this world. I used my compass to navigate; I had set my bearings at the road,
and I stayed on that heading and continued in the direction of the now invisible
mountain. Eventually, as I approached the mountain, the terrain would go up
until it precipitated to the peak. Walking in snowshoes was difficult, but it beat
the alternative. The snow was soft and pillowy, so I left deep impressions in it.
Later I would be grateful for those deep tracks.
After a couple of hours, I was finally ascending the mountain. I had been
worried that I might have missed it entirely since I was attempting to climb
something I couldn’t see. As it turned out, I had almost missed the mountain, and
I ended up climbing the steep eastern side as opposed to its more gentle
southern slope.

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Oasis in the Sky
Oasis in the Sky