I have been to this mountain lake before.
I climbed the trail leading up through the foothills, through the biome changes, through trees, above tree line. We camp here, at the base of the mountain. This is our base camp.
For some of us, this is the destination. We wanted to sleep here, to wake lazily with the sun, to read or draw or write or make music or make love by the shores of a beautiful mountain lake. We wanted to see the brilliant stars and the Milky Way without the bother of light pollution. Or we wanted to bundle up in the tent and listen to a storm roll through, gentle rain, attempts to keep necessary gear dry. Like socks.
And for some of us, we want all of this AND. This storm *and* the view from the highest peak. This bacon over the campfire AND the stars on a clear cold pre-dawn start to the twenty hour day which has me off the peak by noon.
These experiences may not happen sequentially, or on the same day. I still want all of them as they come to me.
