Rascal Chuck Climbs a Mountain

        I suspect the idea started when Chuck and Theo, his brother in crime, conferred that morning on the sofa.  I think Theo put the idea in Chuck's head that climbing a mountain was a good idea. Imagine the view, he probably meowed. The fresh scents you can sniff.

          "Do you want to come with us?" Chuck probably asked.

          "Me?" Theo probably let out a slight cough. "Not today, bro. Feeling a little under the weather. But you go ahead."

            So Dan, Chucky, and I find ourselves signed up for a two hour hike, following our trusted guide, destined to climb a mountain. But, first we have to get to the mountain, which means hiking through a forest. We are in northern New Jersey in Ringwood State Park, light jacket weather, the day after too much rain so it's a bit soggy but glorious.

            We follow a secret path through some fields and woods to reach the trail that will eventually lead upwards.  

          The path seems somewhat magical, especially when we pass some ancient statues, each one representing one of the major continents--Europe, America, Asia and Africa:

       We pass a lovely wooden bench, but there is no time to rest. 

           We now begin to enter the forest. Chuck is with Dan, snuggled securely in his backpack, but when we reach a stream, he meows to be let out. Looking for frogs and fish is one of the things Chuck likes to do best, so while I distract our guide, Chucky does his thing with Dan.

        Soon we're hiking into the inner part of the forest. The trail inclines nice and slow. There is a slight breeze. The sun is out. 

        

        We are almost there. The incline steepens. The trail narrows. At the highest point, we must climb a few steps onto a giant rock that is flat on top, but the sides extend down, down, and if you are afraid of heights, it is best not to look down. If you think you might slide down the sides, it is best not even to climb on top of this rock. 

        But, of course, we do. The view is magnificent. Chuck is out of the backpack, and he has scampered up the rocks. He wants to see the view.

      

        "Keep an eye on him." 

        I have no idea how well cats can navigate on slippery rocks. I have no idea how well I can navigate on slippery rocks. I already know how Dan is feeling. He is staying exactly in the middle of the large rock and not looking down.

        The view is of the Ramapo Mountains. 

        I make the biggest mistake while I am up there. I look DOWN

          

and realize at once that we are at tree top level and if we slide down and fall, we will be in BAD SHAPE. It is a long way down. 

        I make an executive decision. "We should grab Chuck."

        He is on the edge of the edge, sniffing. Of course he is. Half his body is off the rock, half is on. I don't think he even realizes where he is. Some plants are growing in between the crevices, and he is exploring. He has absolutely no interest in the view. 

        I very carefully move closer to where he is.  If he looks up and sees there's nothing in front of him, will he panic? 

        

        "Chucky, Chucky."

        He turns and looks at me.  And then without a second thought he moonwalks from the edge and returns to where I am standing, paralyzed with fear. They say that cats need to be rescued from trees because they can't backtrack once they run up. But I've just seen for myself that a cat can save himself, if he's a rascal!

        Later, safely back at home, I see Chuck with Theo. I hear a lot of meowing, and I imagine that Chuck is telling Theo what happened on top of the mountain--how mom freaked out once again. But I'm wrong. He seems to be telling Theo how he made it to the top of the mountain!

        Theo, lazing in the later afternoon sun, doesn't seem to care. He's all stretched out and mighty glad he decided to stay home. He's no rascal cat!

       

        

        

Chuck Dreams of Climbing El Capitan

        When we arrive at Yosemite National Park, we know nothing about mountain climbing. Well, I know one thing--it is a wickedly dangerous sport. A sport, I assume, for daredevils or thrill seekers. Can you hear the judgment in my words?Let me put it this way--if you pay me, I wouldn't attempt to climb a mountain.

        So what are the chances when we arrive in California--that our guide will be a bonafide, professional mountain climber? Who eats, sleeps, and talks incessantly about climbing mountains. He married a mountain climber. His friends were mountain climbers. He read books about mountain climbing. And he carried mountain climbing equipment in his car, just in case a mountain popped into view that he suddenly felt compelled to climb.

        Jeff Crow is so into mountain climbing he almost had us convinced that maybe it isn't such a crazy idea, after all. A few days before--as part of our panoramic view--we'd seen two famous cliffs that mountain climbers were drawn to--Grand Sentinel and North Dome and marveled at how high they were. He explains at that very moment there are climbers hanging onto their granite surface. Those little black dots we see with our binoculars from where we stand are actually human beings. 

        But the best is yet to come. We are on our way to see El Capitan, which is super famous, so famous that it makes a serious mountain climber like Jeff go bananas just to see it. His mouth literally begins to water because El Capitan is 3000 vertical feet of sheer rock formation and presents one of the greatest challenges to mountain climbers. More about that in a moment . . .

   

        First we were lucky enough to pass some of the most recognized Yosemite National Park scenes, the ones painted the most often by artists. Besides El Capitan, there is Half Dome:

        And Bridal Veil Falls:

         Finally, we come to El Capitan. Seeing it in person takes your breath away, especially when you realize that someone actually was able to climb it from bottom to top. Nerves of steel? Obviously.

         When someone climbs a mountain, they don't show up for the day and do it. They spend months, sometimes years in preparation. There is the grueling physical training, the need to get your body in shape, the same as a runner who has to run hundreds of miles before he attempts the marathon. There is the no how of how to climb a mountain, ie. the technique. Mountains do not come with stairs that you climb. With your body pressed up against an often flat surface, you must reach for that tiny crevice and pull yourself up. There is the correct equipment, which you hope doesn't break when you're thousands of feet from the earth. And, finally, there is the strategizing sometimes of each and every step you need to take--to find the secret passageway--to assail the mountain. 

        Mountain climbers often share with other mountain climbers the "road maps" they have developed when they've made successful climbs of certain peaks, outlining the best approach and how to tackle the most difficult areas.

        We are encouraged by Jeff to watch a documentary called Free Solo about an autistic climber named Alex Honnold who free soloed El Capitan (meaning he climbed it with no ropes). Remember, El Capitan is a 3000 vertical feet of sheer rock formation in Yosemite. So far, Alex has been the only climber to have climbed it free style. Others have tried and not lived to tell about it. 

        Hearing Jeff describe his various exploits on the mountain. Watching Free Solo. Examining some of the mountain climbing equipment. And getting up close and personal to one of the mountains--no, not El Capitan, but I can imagine what it would be like to face what looks like a sheet of granite in front of you. There are nooks and crannies that your fingertips feel but even from a short distance away, they're hard to see. Trust me, climbing up a surface like that seems almost impossible. 

        That evening as the sun sets, we stand close to the surface of one particular mountain side. Jeff is busy explaining how he would attack the surface and what equipment he would use. For the life of me, I can't see a single place where I could even put my pinky finger to grab hold and hoist myself off the ground. 

        I glance over at Chuck, who looks interested in the mountain. You never can tell with cats. He seems lost in a kind of trance, but he's looking at the mountain. His head tilts and he isn't angling for snacks so that is a good sign. 

        Don't worry, I tell myself, there's no chance Chuck can climb this surface! 

        My feeling of content is short lived, however. Jeff launches into another mountain story, but this one, believe it or not, is about how climbers discovered baby cats half way up El Capitan. 

        "What? How did they get there?"

         He shook his head. "Nobody knows."

         That is one story I don't need to hear. I can almost hear the music of doom they play in the movies.

        We are lucky to be staying for two nights at The Ahwahnee, an upscale historic hotel in Yosemite National Park. Built in 1927, it is a beautiful hotel. The granite facade, log beamed ceilings, stone hearths, stained glass, and tapestries harken back to the 1930's Art Deco and Arts and Crafts Movement. 

        We love our room.

    

   

        There is even a room plaque that tells the room's history:

        But the best part is the view. The Ahwahnee is located near Half Dome. You can see the mountain if you take a walk after dinner.  

        But you can also see Half Dome from the window in our room. Chuck discovers this before I do. He is perched on the wide sill of our window gazing out. Daydreaming. Staring at the mountain. Listening to the tweeting birds. 

             "Chuck, are you dreaming about climbing that mountain?"

        I remember the sequoia he leaped on and tried to climb. The palm tree he somehow managed to scale. Heck, the Christmas tree at home that he was often on top of. He seems to have the climbing gene in his blood.

        He lets out a little squeak.

        "Thought so."

        He turns to look at me.

        "That was some story that Jeff told today about those cats. Do you think you'll ever grow up to be a mountain climber?"

        No answer.

        "But everybody can dream."

        Chuck lets out a soft meow, one of those sweet meows with such longing in it I feel that one day Chuck will grow up to be the first mountain climbing cat in the world to reach the top. I can see it now:

        Headline: Rascal Chuck Climbs El Capitan.

        I am lost in my daydream. Chuck is lost in his. Suddenly, Chuck jumps down and scoots over to my backpack.

        I don't have to ask what Chuck wants. It doesn't take much to keep the rascal cat happy. A snack or two before he shuts down for the night. Then a hug. And a new adventure for tomorrow.