A legal Deaf leads an Illegal Cripple
I had signed up with today’s ranger guided “Discovery” hiking trip to Polychrome Summit since the first day I came to the Park. This was the only available event of this type fitting my short stay here in Denali. The event was rated as “strenuous”. Not having any context of reference for measuring “strenuous-ness”, I signed up the trip anyway. Before leaving campground this morning, I told myself not to be intimidated if most hikers were one third of my age and dashing through the trail in a fraction of time.
It turned out the other 5 hikers in the group were around my age, except most of them had more hiking experience. Our guiding ranger was a nice young lady named Jen. She had extensive experience of hiking and teaching. Jen told us she is a legal deaf. She can read lips face to face but having difficulty hear people talking behind her. (“That might be a blessing instead of a handicap”, I thought.). Bus took us to the trail head near Polychrome Pass. Before heading out, Jen explained to us the terrain and a few choices of the routes we could take depending on the imminent situation. Like many other rangers I met on the trip, Jen is an advocate of wildlife protection and wilderness preservation. She is also philosophical about “men vs. nature” experience; conquering mountain is more than a physical endeavor. It is spiritual too. I like the idea.
This was not a long hiking trip. But as it was “strenuously” rated, from very beginning, the elevation increased rapidly. There was no warm up stage and there was no defined path to climb or hike either. Each of us need to find our own most secure next step on our way up on the sloppy hill of, frequently, rolling rocks. This was not an easy hike for me but I managed to stopped occasionally and looked around to steal stunning views that I could only admired afar from the shuttle bus yesterday.
We reached the Summit around noon. It surely felt good at the top of the mountain looking down the valley and across the fields. Some one suggested a few minutes of silence so we could feel the nature surroundings without interference. I wish I could remember this precious moment of serenity on Polychrome Summit for a long, long time.
When we waded the bush, passed the valley, crossed the creeks and came back to the bus stop, it started to rain. What a prefect timing, I thought!! I did not tell Jen and my teammates that I had a broken ankle and still having a surgical nail in it from an auto accident many years ago. I did not want them to be burdened or to treat me any differently. Even though I was not a legal cripple, climbing up and down the hill of rolling rocks was quite a challenge. Any rain that came earlier would make this trip more difficulty, if not impossible for me.
I know someday when I look back this experience, I will say, with a smile – this is a memorable trip of a legal deaf leading an illegal cripple.
********************************************************************
I had signed up with today’s ranger guided “Discovery” hiking trip to Polychrome Summit since the first day I came to the Park. This was the only available event of this type fitting my short stay here in Denali. The event was rated as “strenuous”. Not having any context of reference for measuring “strenuous-ness”, I signed up the trip anyway. Before leaving campground this morning, I told myself not to be intimidated if most hikers were one third of my age and dashing through the trail in a fraction of time.
It turned out the other 5 hikers in the group were around my age, except most of them had more hiking experience. Our guiding ranger was a nice young lady named Jen. She had extensive experience of hiking and teaching. Jen told us she is a legal deaf. She can read lips face to face but having difficulty hear people talking behind her. (“That might be a blessing instead of a handicap”, I thought.). Bus took us to the trail head near Polychrome Pass. Before heading out, Jen explained to us the terrain and a few choices of the routes we could take depending on the imminent situation. Like many other rangers I met on the trip, Jen is an advocate of wildlife protection and wilderness preservation. She is also philosophical about “men vs. nature” experience; conquering mountain is more than a physical endeavor. It is spiritual too. I like the idea.
This was not a long hiking trip. But as it was “strenuously” rated, from very beginning, the elevation increased rapidly. There was no warm up stage and there was no defined path to climb or hike either. Each of us need to find our own most secure next step on our way up on the sloppy hill of, frequently, rolling rocks. This was not an easy hike for me but I managed to stopped occasionally and looked around to steal stunning views that I could only admired afar from the shuttle bus yesterday.
We reached the Summit around noon. It surely felt good at the top of the mountain looking down the valley and across the fields. Some one suggested a few minutes of silence so we could feel the nature surroundings without interference. I wish I could remember this precious moment of serenity on Polychrome Summit for a long, long time.
When we waded the bush, passed the valley, crossed the creeks and came back to the bus stop, it started to rain. What a prefect timing, I thought!! I did not tell Jen and my teammates that I had a broken ankle and still having a surgical nail in it from an auto accident many years ago. I did not want them to be burdened or to treat me any differently. Even though I was not a legal cripple, climbing up and down the hill of rolling rocks was quite a challenge. Any rain that came earlier would make this trip more difficulty, if not impossible for me.
I know someday when I look back this experience, I will say, with a smile – this is a memorable trip of a legal deaf leading an illegal cripple.
********************************************************************
Midnight Sun: I came back from bus tour late last night. The shower room was closed by the time I came to Mercantile Center. But it was just in time to snap a few pictures of this beautiful sunset at the Center's parking lot, 12:25 am.
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