Week in Images: Vacation

This is where we were this past week: exploring old working and ghost towns, hiking before the summer crowds, and visiting a state park slated for closure in July. The air was crisp and fresh; the rain, refreshing; and the bout of unseasonably cool, late-spring weather was absolute perfection. We could have gotten lost in those folklore-ish woods (see 5th image), but all I could think about were the settlements that were once abundant in the area during the pre-and-post-Gold Rush times...in addition to the vast array of towering trees. Felt so small, but also never felt so alive; cliche, but true.

When it's just you and nature (the rocky paths and steep elevation gain, alike) one becomes acutely aware of herself or himself in relation to the oftentimes unforgiving elements. It's a multi-sensory experience, for each inhaled breath feels new; each tentative step holds a combined subtle richness of the aural, visual, and textual sort. During this trip, I've truly learned to enjoy hiking.