Fear and Delight

Alex Honnold on Overhanging Rock near Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park

I love and hate the cover of today's New York Times Magazine:

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2015/03/11/magazine/15Honnold-promoimage/15Honnold-ss-slide-8L1E-sfSpan.jpg

I hate it because I have a terrible fear of heights.

I love it because of the sweeping view of Yosemite and the feeling I get of what it is like to be there looking out--but in my mind I am ten feet to the right of Alex Honnold, lying flat with only my head lifted to see the view.  And I will have to be rescued from that spot by helicopter.

When I first saw the photo this morning, I involuntarily whispered, "Move back!"

I want him to move back from the edge.  I can't stand the thought of him doing ropeless climbing on Half Dome as described in the accompanying article.

The father of one of the kids in my daughter Ellen's classes in elementary school fell to his death while doing ropeless climbing with his 12-year-old son near Idyllwild, California, in the San Jacinto Mountains.

This guy Alex will eventually fall too--and die doing what he loves.

Neverthless, I have to thank him and photographer Peter Bohler for this disturbing, breath-taking photo.

More photos of Glacier Point:
http://www.yosemitehikes.com/glacier-point-road/glacier-point/glacier-point.htm#photos

On Skiing and Nothingness

To read a philosophy of life based on skiing, look at this piece in today's New York Times Magazine.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/magazine/letter-of-recommendation-skiing.html?ref=magazine

Aleksander Hemon says he lives to ski.  He also says that Sartre mentions skiing in Being and Nothingness:

No wonder Sartre discusses skiing in “Being and Nothingness.” For my (modest, writerly) money, skiing is just about the best way of Being. Too bad climate change will probably end it. We might be in the last days of skiing, which is to say that any day not spent skiing is one step closer to Nothingness.

I would substitute the word hiking where he uses skiing.  We can all probably relate to this passion for something and insert the word of our choice.

Each day of our lives we are one step closer to non-being.  Hence the ancient maxim, "Seize the day."

Hemon plans his time around " accumulating 50 to 60 skiing days a season — which is my only real goal in this, American, life."

My own goal is to spend 50-60 days a year hiking in the Rocky Mountains, including a few hours of those days sitting at high altitude and gazing out at the peaks and valleys, feeling close to my Maker and reflecting on the brevity of human life.

The maximum I've achieved so far is maybe ten of these days per summer... So many Colorado days have to be spent maintaining a home and yard, shopping, paying bills, hosting guests, etc.--after earning a living and driving from California.