Aspen Meadows

Inspired by a hike through a meadow of Aspen trees. It was late in the day, the sun was low in the sky, it was golden hour, that time when the shadows grow long, take on a blue hue, and everything is cast in golden light.  We were in bear country, and hikers that we passed on the trail told us, they had just seen a bear off the trail up ahead. We continued our hike shouting the occasional, “hey bear” and in-between, being with the layered sounds of the forest.  The forest all around was alive with the pinks, purples, yellows and whites of wildflowers. Spruce and fir trees rose high above, Aspen trees and their dancing leaves surrounded us. The sun broke through the trees, casting beautiful rays of light on the foliage. The contrast of the objects that were in shadow, compared to the objects that were illuminated in light made the scene dramatic. It was so vibrant and three-dimensional, as if every molecule of life was vibrating. The forest felt so alive. We continued hiking and taking it all in. Bumble bees hopped from flower to flower, tiny flying insects filtered through the warm sunlight, and the sound of the nearby river ran in the background. The trail doesn't end, it just kind of evaporates along the way. We eventually turned around and headed back to camp, taking in the last of the fading light. We never did end up meeting that bear, but I like to think she is out there in a grass-filled meadow, slumbering and lumbering among the wildflowers.