nomadic thoughts

Due to a series of injuries I haven’t had many opportunities to spend wanted time in the wilderness in the past couple months. Last night I did some exploring in the Uintas and made a visit to the site I camped for two weeks when I first moved to Utah around this time last year. The site was situated about 100 yards from a mountain reservoir and this year it hadn’t frozen over. It had been a while since I felt truly alive again so I thought it would be nice to go for a swim! The lake was at about 7800 ft and the temperature outside was -8 degrees. The water however was about 40 so the temperature differential between the water and air had created a very intense steamy fog that was rising from the water. My friend immediately asked me “are these hot springs?!” Haha, “No” I replied.

I stripped down to my boxers and started to walk in from the shore and felt a sharp shock run up my body starting at my feet and ending at my shoulders the moment my feet hit the water. I kept going, steadfast, until I had gotten just past my waist. I felt life surging through my body and dropped down and went all the way under. I came up and screamed in excitement. After a minute or so I started to walk back into the shore. The shore was covered in dry, packed snow and as I began to walk on it the water on my feet immediately froze and my feet were sticking to the ground. Radiating steam, and peeling my feet from the ground I got into my truck and blasted the heat. Today, I have a very mild case of frostbite on some of my toes. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!

As I was warming up and driving I thought about how it’s those types of experiences that make me feel more alive than any others I can remember. Similar to making it to the top of a mountain, or engaging in any sort of blood-surging, adrenaline-pumping, nerve-wrecking activities. It is a feeling that is hard to describe and even more difficult to replicate in a controlled environment. Strange how experiencing some of the most uncomfortable situations give you the greatest sense of life. Humility.