Home of the Desert Rat by Robert Coats …I shall give myself to the desert again—that I, in its golden dust may be blown from a barren peak, broadcast over the sun-lands… —Maynard Dixon, 1935 Three arms of a cloud fuse to form an arrow pointing at the summit of Picacho Peak, its flanks ofContinue reading “Home of the Desert Rat by Robert Coats”
Category Archives: mountains
Camelback Road, Scottsdale, Arizona by Rafaella Del Bourgo
Camelback Road, Scottsdale, Arizona by Rafaella Del Bourgo Sunday, seven a.m., before the unbearable heat. This six-lane highway almost empty, the double line down the center white as bone. I am running toward the small lake near my mother’s condo, pumping my body clean with air and speed and coursing blood. To the west, CamelbackContinue reading “Camelback Road, Scottsdale, Arizona by Rafaella Del Bourgo”
Somewhere Near the Medicine Wheel by Ken Hartke
Somewhere Near the Medicine Wheel by Ken Hartke It was somewhere near the Medicine Wheel that we knew our lives had changed. A commitment had formed, a bond unspoken, that remained that way for months to come. Unsaid but forged strong for a lifetime. Silent. We were afraid to spoil it in those days ofContinue reading “Somewhere Near the Medicine Wheel by Ken Hartke”
Volcano Park by Ed Meek
Volcano Park by Ed Meek In case you forgot what burns beneath the surface of the earth, pay a visit to Pele, goddess of the volcano, on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi where a fire river of lava tunnels through molten rock. You can catch Kīlauea flow— luminous at night— from black pahoehoe cliffs thatContinue reading “Volcano Park by Ed Meek”
Threshing by Ed Ruzicka
Threshingby Ed Ruzicka Leoncio wakes me before sixso we can march down to the next town.I am to drive the Datsun that is kept there in a cousin’s garage.I have been trying to teach Leonciohow to drive but it is terrifying. So many pile onto, lean off, the pickup’s bedthat I can hardly see outContinue reading “Threshing by Ed Ruzicka”
Golden Eagles over Franklin Mountain by Robert Bensen
Golden Eagles over Franklin Mountainby Robert Bensen On Oct. 25, 2018, we counted 128 Golden Eagles, a single-day record for eastern North America. The previous single-day high was 71 (Nov. 11, 2015) so the magnitude of this big day cannot be overstated. The reason for this Golden Eagle push two weeks before the traditional migrationContinue reading “Golden Eagles over Franklin Mountain by Robert Bensen”
Giardini di Villa Melzi by David Del Bourgo
Giardini di Villa Melzi by David Del Bourgo Bellagio, Italy His white marble eyes seem more curious than ours, overlooking the intrusion of two hundred years. A fantastic arrogance survives casual indignities: rain-cragged shoulders, a mustache chipped by a childish hand. His wife sits opposite in the gazebo, admired by everyday men like myself brushingContinue reading “Giardini di Villa Melzi by David Del Bourgo”
The Ghost of Mazama by Marianne Brems
The Ghost of Mazama xxxxxxxxxxxCrater Lake, Crater Lake, Oregon by Marianne Brems The Rim Road around Crater Lake with a dusting of snow beside it is nearly all mine. In temporal sunlight I ride on two slim tires around a lake without tributaries, deeper than a skyscraper. My core swells in warmth pushing heat outContinue reading “The Ghost of Mazama by Marianne Brems”
Slieve League by Christine Gelineau
Slieve LeagueCounty Donegal, Irelandby Christine Gelineau Cliffs draw us, as margins must: that limitless curiosity limits excite.It’s exactly the 600 meters of granite verticality that insinuates closer, let me show you. Our thirst for clarity runs that deep.The glittering little lake at Bunglass Point observes unblinking as tourists and family groups head off along theContinue reading “Slieve League by Christine Gelineau”
Walking Up Scafell Pike with My Father by Christian Ward
Walking Up Scafell Pike with My Father by Christian Ward After walking a few yards you breathe like someone who has slipped across the border. I am ahead, you are far behind. There are no rest stops on this rocky path to the summit, no hedgerows to distract our lack of common interests or silencesContinue reading “Walking Up Scafell Pike with My Father by Christian Ward”
POETRY and PLACES 