The golden orb just seeming hung over the tops of the mountains. The size of it looked immense and its glow cast a glow over the landscape. I kept driving, mesmerized by large, golden sphere, unable to take my eyes off it, even while trying to stay focused on the road.
There’s a full moon cast over the mountains this evening, and I can’t help but stare it, reflecting on previous full moon moments etched in my memory. Our Nederland mountain home has skylights, both in our great room and our master bedroom. Usually, some time during the evening, we can be sitting on our couch, glance up and see the moon right through that skylight.
Taking the dogs out for the last walk of the night right before bedtime is that much nicer during a full moon. No scrounging around for the headlamp to take them out, the golden glow seeps through the woods illuminating the dirt road. It’s not long before my eyes adjust and I can easily spot every twig, every bush, every tree.
My most unforgettable full moon memory occurred while hiking the John Muir Trail through the Sierra Nevada in 2005. My hiking partner and I had made camp in a common back country campground at Woods Creek Crossing. We had met a solo hiker who was out for just a 4-night trip, in contrast to our 22-day, 220-mile hike. We had made a fire that evening and were sitting chatting together, and all of the sudden, things started to get brighter and brighter. We sat on a rock, and watched the granite cliffs along get illuminated as the full moon rose ever higher in the sky. The mountain peaks were bathed in its light, showing the many cracks and crevices that mad up the crags. We sat in silence for what seemed like minutes, awed by the moment.
There’s something about the beauty of a full moon in the high peaks. As I gaze upon the moon’s light, I think how amazing it would be to climb one of the peaks on a night like tonight. Maybe one day….
