9/6/98: The weather is overcast, so no clear view of the Himalayas yet… But I was up very early in hopes of catching glimpse of the mountains, and I was not disappointed… Dhaulagiri, Machapuchare, and several other peaks of the Annapurnas were visible for a few brief minutes when the clouds separated… Today is Sunday, and the mountains reminded me of a song of worship by Bob Bennett: “I’ve sung in mountain cathedrals; With steeples rising high; And altars made of evergreen; And windows made of sky…” The hike back turned dangerous since the weather turned foul, alternating between a light but thick rain, and fog so fat that it might as well have been rain… Adrian led our group of four, and everyone but Ruth had some stumbles and scrapes along the slippery path… When we got back to our room at the guest house Ruth took off her shoes and found the sock on her left foot was soaked in blood… A leach from one of the streams we walked through had taken a ride down from the mountain… Smothering it with a little bit of salt made it detach though…
NOTE: The photo above shows the peak of Machapuchare (the sharply pointed mountain on the left) from the village of Dhampus, Nepal, during my early morning and brief glimpse through a momentary break in the clouds,
Give a listen to the song “Mountain Cathedrals” by Bob Bennett.