Minutes flashed by and became hours and I was becoming certain I would be spending a cold night on Teewinot. There was a difference in the air. Hard to explain, but even with all the wind and snow, a calmness. A void. Another mantle maneuver and I found myself on the summit, room enough for one. Carefully I raised myself up from the crouching position, as the wind was still whipping fiercely. Fully erect, I stood motionless and became calm. My angels working overtime, the sky cleared again for a brief moment. Spectacular views all around, nothing to hold onto, only a sheer drop off ahead, the sight gave me goose bumps, Clouds below me, the wild weather continuing, and the unique feeling of being in such circumstances: on top of a mountain, alone, no human in sight, the air thin, and a sensation almost like floating, it was spiritual.

There are two peaks to Teewinot and I made it over to the other smaller peak and signed my name on a piece of paper that was in a metal tube. Now the decent. It proved more difficult than the climb up in many areas. After a couple hours I was back to the point where the three other climbers had turned around. The weather was quieting down and once again I removed my jacket. Bear country lay ahead and the other hikers had said I should be loud, so I talked and sang my way down Teewinot. My nerves were fried and I was physically and emotionally drained, so when I heard the soothing sound of the waterfall I went off trail and headed toward it. The waterfall wasn’t especially high or significant, but to me at that time, with sunshine out once again, it was a sight to behold. After placing my eye glasses on a rock, I stripped down to my birthday suit and went under the waterfall. How on God’s green earth can running water be so frigid? Regardless, I stood there and showered in the fading light. With my glasses back on I turned around, and low and behold, there was the parking lot with a couple of spectators pointing my way.

When I finally reached the parking lot, my admirers had left. With no other cars around, I started the hike toward town. As soon as I reached the main road, a black car pulled over. It was raining now and the driver partially opened his passenger window and asked if I wanted a ride. I would have sat on the trunk. Turned out he owned the gym next to the motel Jim and I were staying at and he gave me ride to my door. Not only that, he gave me a days pass at the gym after I told him of my hike, and he threw in a t-shirt to boot.