Washington State, USA - Shot on 35mm Film
Every good adventure starts with a map. Anywhere you want to go, just point to it on a map. Whether digital or physical, there is something so freeing about picking a location and going to it. That is what this story is about – it is a story of two friends eager for some adventure and to get lost. So, here is how the story begins...
Biking the Cascades
Scouring over maps on my computer, looking for backroads and trails, I searched endlessly for a place distant enough from everyday life. Over forests, rivers, and mountain ranges, I looked. My location is the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington State, a place I am calling home this summer. It is a place very near and dear to my heart, where I learned to ski and first found my wanderlust for adventure. It still holds the allure of freedom, being both familiar and surprisingly unknown. Upset from the countless hours of searching without finding anything, I picked a point from my home and decided to go there. I called my buddy, told him the plan, and he was in. Shutting my laptop for the night and excited about my plans for tomorrow, I went to sleep. I woke up in the morning ready for an exciting day ahead. I took a shower, more for the fact that I needed one to wake up than for getting clean, as I was going to get dirty soon on the dirt roads and trails that we were about to traverse.
From the very start, I knew I wanted to go on this adventure by bike. There is something special about biking: the wind in your hair, the adrenaline rush of riding. It is a feeling I chase. The sound of my friend fast approaching from behind hits my ears and gives me that signal that this is happening. We start biking, side by side, we continue traversing the mountain. Going through many different climates as we continue our ascent towards the top. Starting out in the lush valley floor with a deep sea of trees stretched out in front of us. The dirt from the old forest roads sprays all over our sweaty bodies. The eighty-degree sun radiates on our backs, only to be stopped by the occasional cloud. We stop for a break halfway up at. Catching our breath, and carefully consuming our limited water supply, we take in the view. A small view at that, but hoping for more ahead. We get back on our bikes as we continue going up this mountain.
While this may not be the biggest mountain at just under 3500 feet, that does not mean it is not a tough mountain. After going for what seemed like forever and wondering when we were going to get to the top, we finally turn the corner and bam, the sky erupts with views of the surrounding mountain ranges and lake below. We know this is not our final destination though, so we keep on. As we keep pedaling, I notice some purple fireweed that was abundant in this area. The only other place I have seen that fireweed is Alaska, so I am guessing we are on the right track. Wind sweeps my hair, giving me that much-needed break from the constant heat. And just as we feel like we want to give up, we made it to our destination.
We got off our bikes, and first things first, drank a much-needed gulp of water. The water, warm from the burning sun, somehow tasted like manna from heaven. I guess that is what happens when you are that tired. I was glad I brought an extra bottle of water. We stood there, watching the clouds move by and the mountain stand tall. Aware that we were in the middle of nowhere but fully enveloped in the moment, I stood there for what felt like an eternity. I was joyful to have good company with me and a sky full of untouched nature. In that moment, I felt like I finally understood the difference between being happy and being joyful.
Being happy is a temporary and fleeting feeling, usually caused by something positive that happened in that moment. While being joyful means being content in where you are at that moment. It is a more permanent feeling that follows you wherever you go. The world tells us that we need to do whatever makes us happy, which is great for short-term success but not in the long run. What we really need more of is joyfulness. Being content where we are and being joyful in the moment is what the world needs more of. After having this realization, we reluctantly started our descent down the mountain, knowing that we need to get back before sundown. Even though we were already halfway done, it felt like we had already completed a marathon. But after that moment on top of the mountain, it felt like we could do anything.