Hiker's update

Friday, 7:10 am

By Kate

Jul

01

2005

The lad called me on his cell phone late Tuesday morning. I’d forgotten to mention that. He arrived out in Colorado all in one piece and he announced that he was calling from the edge of a mountain in the Grand Teton Park.

“In fact,” he said, “I’m right on the edge looking down about 1000 feet.”

Instantly my stomach did a somersault. You see, not only am *I* terrified of heights, it has long been established that I can be terrified by heights by mere suggestion. Especially when it concerns my boy.  And, of course, the lad knows this.

“Yes,” he said, “and now I’m sticking my foot over the edge and waving it around over 1000 feet of space.”

I think I only groaned a little.

And then he said, “Gotcha.”

I hate it when he does that.

Turns out he was still in Jackson Hole, very much on terra firma. They’d had a delay—somebody’s flight had been delayed, which required spending an extra day in Denver waiting for him to arrive. The lad called to say that they’d just gotten to Jackson Hole the night before and were leaving to begin ascending the mountain. Can’t remember which one. Everything was fine. He was loving the scenery and expected they’d be sleeping in the snow by sundown. Apparently there is still a lot of snow up there.

I haven’t heard anything since, so I presume all is well and no one has been eaten by a bear. I probably shouldn’t tempt fate like that....