After a long yet successful day summitting Selden Pass, navigating sun cupped fields of snow in blinding reflective light, and fording rivers that were more infamous to us, hidden away from the internet, than US politics, we hung our bodies around the fire like limp, wet clothes placed out to dry, sorting our meals.
The camp spot was .2 miles from Bear Creek Trailhead, and 200 feet from the roaring Bear Creek, nestled under large conifers.
Happy Feet started a camp fire to ward off the mosquitoes.
Bliss roasted salami on tortillas with cheese on my aluminum hand made coffee cup lid. As we ate, we reflected back on our day.
After a long pause, I asked the team, “What is your spirit animal?”
As if he knew immediately, Blis exclaimed with a matter of fact, yet contemplative expression, “flying horse. yah.” (He later decided that it was a sea turtle).
The question didn’t resonate with Happy Feet. “What do you mean?” Helping him out, I asked him what animals he liked. “Golden Retrievers.”
The tramily decided he was a Jaguar.
Juniper, a smart and playful female was decidedly a Raven.
(juniper aka LL Cool J, me, Koala)
And everyone agreed that Indigo, a cute, fuzzy, vegetarian, was a Koala.
I told the team that my subconscious existence seems to point towards a flying creature. I didn’t live in a dry or hot climate. Blis exclaimed “penguin!” Oddly, I definitely connected with this spirit animal.
We then proceeded to answer Blis’ absurdly related questions:
what is your spirit dessert? Your spirit car? Your spirit LCD monitor?
Hysterical, we shouted out things like “mustang! turquoise! 1962” and “iPad!,” and “moist cake!”
It is so refreshing to be a nomad amongst these animal spirits. Often, with the flying horse, jaguar, raven, and koala, I play in a way I thought only children do. I feel liberated from my other lives. Yes, this is hard, this Pct thing, but my spirit animal is is soaring (you know…in a way a penguin soars)!
Annie Varnot: Artist and Adventurer 