Sunday, October 2, 2016

On the Trail of the Dharma Bums

Horse Creek Trail - Sierra Nevada  2016

Trail taken by Jack Kerouac and Gary Snyder as described in Kerouac's The Dharma Bums:

We went on, and I was immensely pleased with the way the trail had a kind of immortal look to it, in the early afternoon now, the way the side of the grassy hill seemed to be clouded with ancient gold dust and the bugs flipped over rocks and the wind sighed in shimmering dances over the hot rocks, and the way the trail would suddenly come into a cool shady part with big trees overhead, and here the light deeper.

In the book Kerouac relates a mountain-climbing adventure that he and Snyder ("Japhy Ryder") undertook in the 50's, climbing, or not climbing, Matterhorn Peak. Highly recommended.

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