Rock Mountain > Bonds Gallery

It's a mountain path.
It doesn't look that high.

I walk toward the summit.
I see a small fork in the road.
That's where the path joins.
I walk to the left.

I climb the mountain gently.

I know in my heart that my dad is watching me as I walk this mountain.
I know this without looking back.

It's finally an uphill climb. The slope is steep.
But tree branches block my path.
The summit is ahead.
It's a rocky mountain.
The rocks are the summit.

The summit is right ahead, but the tree branches block it like bars.
It's like a fence.
But the barrier isn't that strong, so
I spread the branches to the side and pass through.

A little further, I see a large battery half-buried in the ground.
And a thick black wire.

A little to the side, I see the same battery and wires.
"Ah, this is a busy road."

I feel relieved. But I wasn't that worried.

I stand atop the rock.
This is the summit of the mountain, and I take a look around.
There's nothing higher than this mountain in this area.
It's gently rising. There seems to be fog in the distance.

I must now descend this rocky mountain.
The path down looks slippery, covered in snow and stones.
I turn around and think of a sideways path.
I've been there before, so it looks safe.

How should I go back? Should I just continue down the steps?
I ponder.
The sideways path takes a bit of a detour.
The steep stone steps ahead are faster.

I choose to descend the slightly snowy stone steps.
If I slip, I might roll down. "Be careful," I say, carefully taking each step as I descend.

Somehow, I manage to descend the steep rocks and reach the finish line.

Now, I have to pass through the forest and reach the exit.

This is my first time here... It's going to take a long time.

I'll have to take some annual leave from work. It'll take a while to find the exit.

I enter the forest path, covered in about an inch of snow.
I remember not closing the square window on the cliff I descended from.
The snow was blowing, so I didn't think I could go through it.
I looked again and saw the window was closed.
Relieved, I continue walking.

But, soon after, I see footprints.

People have passed by. This is a hiking trail.
Ah, I find the descent much easier than I expected.
I'd only walked about ten meters along the unfamiliar forest path,
and I'd found the way to the exit.

I've now reached the exit.

I descend from the mountain path to the parking lot where cars are parked.

At the entrance to the second-level trail, two young men are working, checking tickets.
I briefly imagine them working hard.