Memory Lane

Monday, June 13, 2005

Ever wonder when a tree falls in the woods if it makes a sound if there is no one around to hear it? This very question was one of many when Patrick and I were younger. Could be a dumb question but one that leaves much to the imagination.

When hubby and I were younger we spent almost every free moment we had out in the woods. Hiking, camping, partying. In fact, that is one reason that we moved out where we live, we would come here almost every weekend with friends to hang out.

Pat used to go cliff diving while I sat in the background telling him not to. Many people have died doing that very thing off of the cliffs in Taylors Falls. They don't hit rocks, they get caught in the currents of the St. Croix River and usually end up drowning. Morbid but true.

He would also take to climbing rock faces that were pretty steep. Again, I would sit in the background cussing him for doing something so dangerous without any ropes. And again, many have fallen to their death or serious injury doing exactly what he was doing.

One such day we ventured out here with another couple. The girl and I were pretty good friends and Pat went to guitar school with the guy. We went our separate ways for awhile and us girls ventured into the woods close to the ground. We were out of their sight for maybe 30 minutes or so.

When we returned to where we were supposed to meet, there were the guys half way up a rock face. This rock face was nearly at a 90 degree angle and about 70-75 feet from bottom to top. We of course gasped at the sight. It was pure stupidity in the minds of us more caustious, less adventurous women.

Now, after we yelled at them and said our peace, her and I conferred. We decided that we best shut up as to not distract them or else we would be the cause of their death. ( I will say that I am an over reactive worry wart to say the least) We walked far away from this rock because neither of us could stand to watch but as many so often do, we couldn't help it. We stood about 100 feet away and whispered our worst fears to eachother as we shook with anxiety.

It was quite impressive to see actually, these two guys struggling to find foot and hand holds while they pondered their next move. They were doing pretty good. As they were nearing the top of this rock, the relief was easing. My friend and I were starting to talk about what pretty flowers there were and how cool the lake looked.

But wait, they hit a really big glitch. Not only was this rock face steep, it was pretty flat and smooth. They had to struggle with each move but they got about 10-15 feet from the top and they both stopped. They were stuck. What these two didn't do before they climbed was pay attention to the top.

At the top of this rock there was a lip that protruded out about 2-3 feet. One in which they would have to find a way around as there was nowhere for them to go. Minimum holds on this face proved to be a big problem.

They yelled down to us that they were stuck. Panic arose in my throat. They stayed in that one spot for a good ten minutes quietly talking while looking up, then down, to their right and to their left.

Then came the reaching for this spot and reaching for that spot, trying to step back down. These maneuvers were done many times...but these attempts were futile. They appeared to be stuck.
My friend and I slowly started to walk towards this rock, the lake forgotten, and the flowers now under our feet. We were hanging on to each other whispering our woes once again but it was more frantic now. What should we do, we can't help them.

As we neared the rock, Pat's friend started to proceed. We stopped dead in our tracks! We feared the worst. He wasn't climbing down, he was going up and around this lip. They were going to attempt to climb nearly upside down to get around this lip. Oh my, this was not good.

His body was twisted in the most unthinkable ways in order to scale under this lip. Slowy, he inched futher and futher until he had a good hold on the best handle available on this flat faced rock, the top. He couldn't see of course where he was reaching as he was reaching from underneath the lip.

With his hands firmly in place, now the hard part was ahead of him. He had to pull his body around this lip to safety. I'm sure this was no easy feat as he was tired but he managed to do it, scrawny arms and all.

He reached the top brushed himself off and started jumping up and down yipping and yawing about how he did it. My friend was not very happy to say the least.

My friend took her hand from her heart and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Me on the other hand? Well, there was my fiance hanging 50-60 feet from bottom of this rock face with a very big challenge lingering. I was a wreck thinking that the love of my life was going to fall.
Well, he stayed there for a couple of minutes then began very slowly to find hand holds and foot holds. I watched in agony just knowing that something horrible was about to happen.

As he got to the lip, he too twisted his body into unthinkable positions, carefully placing one hand here and a foot there. It was like watching a suspense movie or something. I watched intently but at the same time I just couldn't see anything but the worst possible image.
One hand reached the top of the lip and then the other. I thought for sure that this is where it would all end but somehow, some way, he managed to pull his body up and around onto the safety of this cliff. He too got to the top, brushed himself off and did the male victory dance with a huge grin on his face. I was not grinning, I was almost in tears.
Relief again washed over me and I thanked God. But victory was not in the minds of us two girls. No way! We were mad! Mad as wet hens.

We had not moved from that spot where the pretty flowers were. We stood and waited with hands on our hips just waiting to let loose all the emotions that we were feeling through the whole ordeal.

They got near us and we started yelling at them telling them how stupid they were and how they could've fallen and what did they do? THEY LAUGHED at us. They thought their adventure was great and that they were never in any danger.

We of course vented our feelings and calmed down and things were good between all of us again. We continued on our hike for the day but stuck to solid ground.

No matter how convinced Patrick had himself that day that he was safe, I now know different. It is one day that he talks about a lot and has once or twice admitted that it wasn't very smart.
It never ceases to amaze me the things a guy will do to impress a girl.

Written by louie0768 .