Hello from the Wasatch Mountains
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 4:59 am
Hi everyone,
I've been meaning to post here for a while - I actually wanted to show pictures of some of my recent hikes, even though I don't really have a good appropriate kit built up yet. It might take me quite some time to do this but meanwhile as an admirer of the concept I just want to get in and somehow be a part of this good thing you're all doing.
So like the subject line says, I live in - or on the western edge of the Wasatch range in Utah. From my house I get a view of the mighty Mount Timpanogos, whose summit I have conquered seven times in my life, and on whose slopes I have had many good times. I've gone on other hikes and rambles in these mountains too - always eager for more.
I've read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings multiple times - have yet to tackle Silmarillion so bear with me. In fact, some years ago my siblings and I took turns recording ourselves reading The Hobbit out loud as a birthday present for our mother. My daughters listen to those recordings constantly. Last year I read LotR out loud to them and recorded it; I'm still editing those recordings. It's like deuterocanonical scripture for me - now with Christmas coming I reckon it's about time I read it again to keep myself grounded.
The Wasatch mountains of Utah have always been a magical place for me - permeated with fantasy and dream. In fact, during a very trying job I had some years ago, I was fortunate enough to have a view of Timpanogos and I would imagine that Radagast was up there and I was roaming the woods with him.
A word about that: the portrayal of Radagast in the movies upset me, because I had formed a private connection with the character based on a dream I had. I had fought in the War of the Ring and Radagast took me to visit Lothlorien, then he was going to accompany me back home - or maybe to settle somewhere westward. We traveled together and he carried a waffle iron that was enchanted to weigh next to nothing.
It might seem silly but it was a deep, emotional, meaningful dream to me. I share it here because of what I see: the purpose you're all devoted to. Over the years since I've played around with developing it into a story: maybe I'm a man from Lossarnach, maybe I was among those whom Aragorn dismissed from the final ride to the Black Gates. Maybe Radagast took me to Annuminas to help prepare it for the king to come stay there. All kinds of beautiful ideas and I might even develop them into a persona. But as far as I'm concerned, Radagast traveled with an enchanted waffle iron and when I get to the other side I'll take this idea to Ronald himself, who knows, he might even back me up on it. As far as I'm concerned, Radagast either invented waffles or had some contact with hobbits at some point who introduced the idea to him.
That's getting a bit off-topic, but maybe all this has served to show how deeply attached I feel to the idea of living with a mythopoetic imagination, of yearning for a life of enchantment and beauty and meaning - and food and cheer, even though as far as actual kit goes I'm still very much a beginner. So I'll stop this intro for now and I look forward to reading and sharing more as time goes on.
I've been meaning to post here for a while - I actually wanted to show pictures of some of my recent hikes, even though I don't really have a good appropriate kit built up yet. It might take me quite some time to do this but meanwhile as an admirer of the concept I just want to get in and somehow be a part of this good thing you're all doing.
So like the subject line says, I live in - or on the western edge of the Wasatch range in Utah. From my house I get a view of the mighty Mount Timpanogos, whose summit I have conquered seven times in my life, and on whose slopes I have had many good times. I've gone on other hikes and rambles in these mountains too - always eager for more.
I've read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings multiple times - have yet to tackle Silmarillion so bear with me. In fact, some years ago my siblings and I took turns recording ourselves reading The Hobbit out loud as a birthday present for our mother. My daughters listen to those recordings constantly. Last year I read LotR out loud to them and recorded it; I'm still editing those recordings. It's like deuterocanonical scripture for me - now with Christmas coming I reckon it's about time I read it again to keep myself grounded.
The Wasatch mountains of Utah have always been a magical place for me - permeated with fantasy and dream. In fact, during a very trying job I had some years ago, I was fortunate enough to have a view of Timpanogos and I would imagine that Radagast was up there and I was roaming the woods with him.
A word about that: the portrayal of Radagast in the movies upset me, because I had formed a private connection with the character based on a dream I had. I had fought in the War of the Ring and Radagast took me to visit Lothlorien, then he was going to accompany me back home - or maybe to settle somewhere westward. We traveled together and he carried a waffle iron that was enchanted to weigh next to nothing.
It might seem silly but it was a deep, emotional, meaningful dream to me. I share it here because of what I see: the purpose you're all devoted to. Over the years since I've played around with developing it into a story: maybe I'm a man from Lossarnach, maybe I was among those whom Aragorn dismissed from the final ride to the Black Gates. Maybe Radagast took me to Annuminas to help prepare it for the king to come stay there. All kinds of beautiful ideas and I might even develop them into a persona. But as far as I'm concerned, Radagast traveled with an enchanted waffle iron and when I get to the other side I'll take this idea to Ronald himself, who knows, he might even back me up on it. As far as I'm concerned, Radagast either invented waffles or had some contact with hobbits at some point who introduced the idea to him.
That's getting a bit off-topic, but maybe all this has served to show how deeply attached I feel to the idea of living with a mythopoetic imagination, of yearning for a life of enchantment and beauty and meaning - and food and cheer, even though as far as actual kit goes I'm still very much a beginner. So I'll stop this intro for now and I look forward to reading and sharing more as time goes on.
