Off to Zion

Its time. I went for a walk today in Sugarhouse Park and I realized that spring is just a few days away. There was a time, years ago, when that meant a trip to Zion with my friends. We tried to do something to mark the change of seasons. It was wonderful. It meant that we were able to keep in touch with each other and with nature.
This year I'll be going with Mike. It will be our first real and slow trip anywhere. I left my old job mid-January. It required me to work 6 days a week. The only trips we were able to take were the quick overnight kind. A long drive followed by stopping for pictures and very cold sunbathing, followed by a night of camping and hiking is just what I need to recharge my desert starved soul. I'm thinking about staying at the hot springs in LaVerkin or just off the road in Toquerville. I loved parking on a dirt road and just listening to the wind. I want to get wet in the streams and maybe even make a detour to Red Cliffs. I will do the requisite nude sunbathing, no matter how cold it is. Its spring in my heart, damn it.
Zion itself isn't strong in my remembrance. I remember driving it better than hiking it. So I expect any of the hikes we take will feel brand new. I may insist that we stop for pie at the restaraunt there though. I remember that.
On the way back, we may hit Parowan Gap. We've camped out there before but I want to hike up to the top and see if the fire pit we made way back when is still there. Of course I will be on the lookout for the elusive hot turkey sandwich. They used to be available at every cafe and truckstop. Nowadays I can't find a decent one anywhere. The closest to good I've had is in Tremonton. It tasted exactly like the ones we used to get for school lunch at Beaver High, right down to the dinner roll.
Of course I'll take my knitting and running shoes. Mike will spend hours photographing old road signs and bugs. I'll either do some sprints back and forth waiting for him or make a scarf or a hat or something.
It won't be the same though. I never thought that I'd miss the people I seemed to care so little about at the time. I guess I was so busy with school and being married and work it was easy to take their friendship for granted. Now things are settled and better than they've ever been and I have all the time in the world to go missing them. I saw Marjean when Bob took me out for my birthday lunch. She was drunk, but friendly. She wanted my number so we could get together. She still hasn't called. It would be swell to hang with MaryRuth. At this time of year I really miss her calm and whimsical energy. I don't think I'm likely to meet anyone nicer.
And then there are the guys. I miss the goofiness and the playfulness. The divorces mean that those times together can never happen again so I recognize that I seem to be stuck in some type of nostalgia loop. But man, I think I'm not going to be too hard on myself about it. Those were good times. I loved coming back to Gregg and Marjean's after a hike so tired I'd fall asleep watching videos with them. And the mess the watermelon made on the Cedar Canyon road when we threw it off the back of his jeep. We couldn't even hear the splat because the wind in our ears was so loud. I think of myself and how much I've changed. I was always so worried about following the rules. I really didn't know how to relax and have fun. Maybe thats why I like to remember those days. I could really appreciate that now. Hell, I'd even go skinnydipping. Take that Marjean.