by Ann Atwood

Created on: March 05, 2009

The Mountain

Jim looked toward the mountain, with it's beautiful peak surrounded by an early morning mist . The sun was just cresting at the edge of the mountain, making its presence even more beautiful and tempting. Small, wispy clouds dangled in the air, with a bright blue backdrop behind them. The mountain was covered with snow, which draped its peak like white frosting sent down from a mysterious deity. The path leading to the bottom of the giant was covered on both sides with lush grasses in many colors of green. The pines that rose above the path squeaked as the strong breezes battered them seemed whisper "hurry you're almost there." Once the path ended there was the usual tree line that hung on with gritty determination, slowly becoming sparser as the mountain grew. It was a perfect day for a climb.

Jim had a love affair with the peak known as Gemini, always dreaming of the day he would be able to scale the towering precipice. His father had always told him,"Someday son you'll have the knowledge and expertise to climb your way to the top." He recalled those words and set lofty ambitions to be able to do just that. However, he had to be content with climbing rocky scrabbles often coated with lichen, turning his clothes a military green. These climbs, as well as scaling smaller mountains were just a part of his childhood. It did, however, give him the opportunities to begin the rudimentary skills needed to take on such serious climbing.

From the time he was a youngster Jim was enchanted with climbing rocks, even if was just a child's game. His father was an accomplished climber, and as many other sons past, wanted to follow in his footsteps. He would hop on his dad's lap, earnestly taking in every bit and morsel he could glean from him. But he had to be content with gazing with longing at pictures his father brought back from his many expeditions. But gazing was not for him. He wanted the experience of trudging up mountains that seemed to sit in the sky. Besides, he was a dreamer and an adventurer. He just thought it was something that he was born with, cutting his teeth on a caliper when other babies would chew on a teething ring. His heros were the climbers he read about, some who had spent time with his dad after he completed climbs in other parts of the world. Oft times adventurers are born to seek those thrills that others fear. It was part of the excitement and thrill of the game.

Jim's eyes would sparkle at the idea of going with his father, even if

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