A Beige Briefcase

I’ll never forget the day when a group of 15 people thirsty for adventure had left the soil of mountainous Montana only to scale another mountaintop in the sunny wonderland of California. Yosemite is the single most beautiful place my eyes have come to rest upon thus far. The humungous granite rocks form a vivid and close to unearthly frame around the deep forests and captivating waterfalls, a little bit like those postcard sceneries that seem too good to be real. The uncertainty of a spontaneous 6-hour hike provided us with an adrenaline rush that the entirety of our fifteen-man clan couldn’t deny nor resist. In complete lack of understanding what we were yet to experience, our feat began. The temperature had varied around 25 Celsius the week before we entered the borders of Yosemite National Park. (I refuse to measure the climate in Fahrenheit. It doesn’t make any sense in my European and slightly dogmatic brain). Just a mere week later, as we were approaching the halfway line of the physically exhausting trail that we were currently conquering, the weather refused to synchronize with our plans. Snow started covering our path, and it fell fervently. We were soaked, but since the incline of our hike was on a constant “15” in terms of treadmill measurements, we kept warm through the perpetual blizzard. After a few hours of elevating, the shoulder of our dear planet had reached the state in which the beams of the sun would no longer light up our path. I am personally convinced that we looked incredibly hip in our headlamps, but passing hikers might not have agreed with me. Nevertheless, after many hours of battling snow, ice and sore legs, we reached our destination in Little Yosemite Valley. As we had entered a state of complete physical collapse, we packed in 11 people in a 4-man tent and the additional 4 men in a 2-man tent. After an intense night of wrestling close cases of hypothermia, claustrophobia and various bathroom issues, we found a way to sleep and created an orchestra of snoring harmonies. It was wonderful... The whole hike back was amazing in every possible aspect. We had the privilege of seeing two majestic waterfalls while holding one another's hands. Not because of codependent affection, but because the whole way down was nothing but slippery and steep trails. Through it all, we were divinely protected from any mishaps. Even through the folly of 15 youngsters, more than eager to pervade a story that is to be retold for centuries to come.