EXPERIENCE
Into the Mountains
A Journey of Loss And Acceptance in Wyoming
STORY & PHOTOS BY MIRANDA MCDONALD
“Are you meeting someone in Jackson Hole?”
inquired the lady sitting next to me on the plane.
I wondered if she was genuinely curious or
simply making conversation because she felt as
anxious as I did about the turbulence currently
bombarding our tiny aircraft.
“No,” I choked out as I tightly gripped the arm
rest of my seat. At this point, my stomach felt like
it was permanently lodged in my throat. “I am
actually spending the week alone.”
“Oh. What brings you to Wyoming?” she
continued. Her confusion now momentarily
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EXTOL : JUNE/JULY 2018
replacing the fear. with on the trails. They say groups of three are best!”
As I looked down at the backpack wedged
between my feet, I thought of the list of possible
answers I could give her: a failed marriage, the two
years of utter confusion that followed, or I could
describe the overwhelming guilt I carried with me
every day since the moment I decided to leave my
old life behind. I wanted to tell her it wasn’t the bears I feared. I
wanted to explain to her that I was embarking on
a spiritual journey with this trip, and that I hoped
to unpack all that guilt I had strapped on my back
so many months ago and leave it on those trails
in the mountains.
“I am here to hike in Grand Teton National Park
and do some writing.” I decided to keep it simple.
“That sounds nice,” she replied. “Be sure to take
some bear spray and try to find other hikers to walk
Besides the wildlife tour I had booked two days
prior to my departure, lightening my mental load
was the only thing I had really planned for the
trip. Oh, but there was the minor detail of finding
a place to sleep for three nights. I had thought