One of the craziest decisions I made this summer was made entirely on a whim. “Do you want to hike The Chief at night?” my friend asked. “Yes,” I responded.
Without giving it much more thought than that, my friends and I piled into my 2007 Saturn Ion and began our journey to Squamish at 9 p.m. Fueled by fried chicken and Red Bull, we arrived at our destination and illegally parked for the night. After praying to the Parking Gods that my car be spared from tickets, we took off.
We left the world of fast food and highways behind, and soon found ourselves in the pitch-black woods. The night air was hot, and after two hours of endless stairs, my legs gave out. While we rested at a clearing, we discussed whether or not it was worth it to continue to the peak. All of a sudden, a shooting star fired across the night sky. The awe-inspiring sight made the decision for us: “Fuck it, let’s keep going.”
As we reached the peak, we transcended our mortal form and became gods, albeit exhausted ones. We lay on the bare rock and watched the night sky until the sunrise set it ablaze. It was a truly sublime experience, marred only by one thought: I hope my car hasn’t been towed.
Matthew Iddon was born at an exceptionally young age. He aspires to one day become old. He currently resides.
