"Then the Goethe Lakes, Goethe Peak and what's left of the Goethe Glacier. This is the Glacial Divide, beyond which lies Evolution Valley, where I hiked as a 20-something on the John Muir Trail - a blissful 26 days beyond the range of communication, during which we carried everything we needed on our backs, along with a few things we didn't really need but wanted anyway. No one had cellphones back then."
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. But when you come back down, plug back in. Because as tough as the news is, staying informed remains essential to being an engaged citizen. Escape however often you need to - weekly or daily or 10 minutes out of every hour to just breathe some fresh air and be still. But do not lose sight of the fact that rights are being stripped away from people in our communities."
An observer watches shifting cloud layers over Muriel Lake and Muriel Peak, with the Goethe Lakes and Goethe Glacier marking the Glacial Divide. A 26-day John Muir Trail hike in early adulthood is recalled as a communication-free, self-sufficient experience. Short escapes into mountains, woods, or desert restore perspective and relieve constant exposure to the news cycle, offering mental and emotional respite. Returning from solitude requires re-engagement: staying informed and defending civil rights, communities, and ecosystems threatened by profit-driven exploitation and attempts to erase diverse histories. Individuals are urged to use their skills to stand up for people, places, and the natural world.
Read at High Country News
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