Unconfined on Haney Mountain
Today is February 29th. The next time I will see another February 29th is in four years. To commemorate this extra day, I decided to traverse up the side of Haney Mountain. Haney Mountain is not particularly an impressive mountain in stature or even appearance. It is speckled with burnt trees and is covered in buck brush. The top of the mountain is home to PG&E, AT&T, and other towers. They are stark reminders of modernity in a valley characterized by old time values and strong community ties. My sole purpose for hiking up this mountain was because I had never done so, it is close to home, and because this February 29th needed to mark the end of a winter for me. This winter found me stuck inside myself, cold and bitter, and waiting for the next freeze. I found it impossible to see anything as beautiful; all I saw was the constant grey cloud layer pressing down on everything. Today was the first time in a long time that I hiked by myself and on my own te...