On Windsor Mountain Together
09/20/2018
Up on Windsor Mountain
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."
– Helen Keller
The early morning light drifts through the leaves. The distant birds chirp merrily. The great pines tower above the waves, which lap against the shore of the lake, desperately trying to climb up. The canoes bump gently against the dock, as the fish swim in lazy circles in the crisp, cool water. The wind blows softly and my eyes fly open in a murderous rage as my phone beeps violently next to my head, which was sleeping soundly only a second ago. I snatch my screeching device and slap at the screen till it stops. I lean over and tap my friend Liam, who glares at me as he rolls over. “We have to get up!” I hissed at him “The running group is gonna leave soon!” Growling at me he falls out of his bunk onto the dirty wooden floor. We slip into fresh clothes and make it outside just in time to join the group of groggy but excited teens starting towards the camp exit, ready to take on the day together.
The school year had just started and it was tradition for the eighth grade class to go to Windsor Mountain, a lakeside camp in the middle of nowhere. It was the beginning of the second day and Liam and I had decided to go running with one of our teachers called Fitz, and a couple of other friends.
On the road there's some light chatter, with people asking how everyone slept, cheers of encouragement to the stragglers, and Fitz's usual philosophical nonsense. “Were going deep on this run, not far” he explains to a chorus of groans and eye rolls. I turn to Liam, who seems like he's running a marathon, sucking in air faster than a wind tunnel.
“You ok?” I ask glancing at him.
“Yeah,” he gasps. “Just a little winded.”
“Alright then,” I reply. “One last hill, we can do this!”
Back at camp, I step out of the ice cold shower, shivering, desperately toweling off any reminder of the icy grip of the water. Walking down the dirt road to my cabin I hear the distant ring of the kitchen patrol bell, followed by the wave of students going to their morning “KP” or kitchen patrol.
“KP, KP” I hear the distant chant of the exuberant students. Smiling I keep walking through the lazy morning air.
Two hours later in hanging 50 feet in the air. Sitting in front of me is Micheal Mariani. Were sitting on The Ladder. An 100 foot tall high ropes challenge. The goal is to climb up the horizontal logs hanging in the air, and get to the top. It’s merely a challenge of hauling yourself over the first log, reaching up and climbing the next at first, but the gaps between the logs increase. “Alright, hold my foot down and I’ll stand up and grab the next log.” Micheal grunts looking up at the next hurdle.
“Alright.” I say wrapping my shaking legs around the wet, swaying log beneath me. I push Micheal’s black and red sneakers down as hard as my arms will allow me.
“On three.” He yells “One, two three!” He pushes down with his foot and lunges toward the log directly above us. Gasping he grips the log with one hand he reaches down to me and grabs my outstretched arms.
“Nice job!” I yell.
“Thanks” He replies. “Let’s get you up here.” Hooking his arm under my armpit, he pulls me up. I look out over the clearing. Were on the fifth log. It’s not the top but it feels like we’re on the top of a tower. I see my classmates below running around like flies on a windshield.
“Times up” The counselor hollers from below.
“Alright” Micheal and I say as we lean back in our harness’s and slowly drift towards the ground.
“Nice job we worked well there” I say.
“Thanks, we should do this again.”
“For sure” I reply, as the bell rings, signifying the next activities start. Climbing out of our harnesses and tossing out helmets in the bin we walk confidently toward our next class. Ready to take on the next challenge.
-Evan Lanzendorf