Mountains and Novels

Yesterday afternoon I got back from a weekend trip in Jasper. Five other friends and I left Friday evening to stay the weekend at the Pocahontas campgrounds and do a scramble. It was a pleasant weekend spent lounging around campfires, playing games, visiting hot springs, eating, drinking and hiking. A few of the friends that came aren’t in the best of shape and new to hiking/scrambling. I was hoping to make it the top of Roche Miette but the group was moving slow and a few people turned back about half way there, myself and two others went a bit farther before the foul weather and exhaustion sent us back down. I was a bit disappointed with the hike, I really wanted to make it to the summit this time around but we didn’t even make it as far as the last time I went, this wouldn’t have bothered me so much if it wasn’t for the fact that I felt held back this time. I discovered, after lots of steep climbing, that I’m probably in the best shape of my life right now; I’ve never had so much energy hiking before. I could have easily gone all the way and I’m surprised to find I’m hardly sore afterwards. It feels pretty cool do see the results of the UBBT showing up in unexpected areas.

In other news I’ve recently finished Ernest Hemmingway’s, “The Sun Also Rises”, Faulkner’s “Light in August”. I really liked Hemmingway’s writing style; the book was a pleasure to read throughout. The way he writes such declarative, definite sentences with an aura of aloofness really rubbed off on me. I started out disliking the Faulkner book but it grew on me swiftly and I blew through the last half of the novel. I was a bit biased from the last book of his I read but this one blew my socks off. I loved his southern style and characters; he sure does paint a vivid picture of country attitude. The book made me think of the movie, “No Country for old men,” which I recently re-watched. It took a second viewing to really notice the fantastic dialogue and writing in that film, every sentence oozes style and significance.

I started “The Maltese Falcon” this morning and I may have it done by tonight, I’m about ¾ through. I’m hooked. I wasn’t expecting a film noir type detective novel. The Maltese Falcon is book number 24 so I have 6 more to go by February.