I believe I maybe have around a month left before the snows arrive here, and I am making the most of the beautiful sunny weather while it lasts. For about a week now it has been sunny every day, and by mid-afternoon it is lovely and warm.
So on Wednesday I reached my book editing threshold, and tired of simply gazing out of the window at Needle Mountain in the distance, I decided it was time to go and climb it.
From the map in Moe’s kitchen there doesn’t appear to be any tracks heading up there, and moe doesn’t know of any, so I decided to simply drive to the point on the gravel road nearest to the bottom of the steep slope, and head upwards from there.
Zoli, the pet dog here, accompanied me for the expedition, and we climbed easily up through the open forest for the first section of the climb, then out onto more open ground with a few small crags scattered about, which we could detour around.
Higher up we ran into a very dense patch of poplars which we had to battle through, and wearing shorts proved to be a slightly foolish choice! Above that we had to climb rocky scree, and eventually made it to the flatter summit area. It took around two hours, about double my initial estimate. The summit itself was reached by a steep rocky climb, and I had to tie Zoli up and make the last part of the ascent on my own. The view from the top was awesome, with Annie Lake spread out below to the south.
Moe’s cabin was visible in the forest away to the north.
The descent was equally tricky, through more dense poplar stands, and my legs ended the day very scratched and bruised.
I was reminded many times throughout the day of a blog I wrote quite a while ago, while in Devon in the UK, about how the path will reveal itself if you set off and keep moving forwards. That’s how climbing Needle Mountain felt. There was no definite path, but there was always a way to figure out how to get through and continue onward.
I am also feeling a little like this with my book now. I have finished writing it, and it needs a little polish yet, but I now have to enter the unknown territory of getting it published.
I have used several musical references in my writing, and am now looking for permission to use them from the respective copyright owners. I also wish to use the eBay logo and a Google map on the cover, and need permission to do this too. Then I have to prepare the files for print, sort out an ISBN (International Standard Book Number), and perform a host of other tasks that I had never considered.
But, like the climb up Needle Mountain, as I take each new step forward the next step is revealed, and I am confident that before too long, perhaps a little later than planned, I will have a book in print that I am very proud of!