Hurdling Down a Mountain

I sat over a warm cup of hot chocolate in the morning breeze. I sat on a warm comfy chair with leather padding while watching the fog sit over the town. I’d doze in and out sleep quickly realizing the time I spent sitting on the terrace. I’d leap upward while gazing left and right frantically. As I surveyed my surroundings, quickly regaining consciousness. I saw shades of white, grey, brown, and blue all in one picture. I was in Switzerland! Saint Moritz, Switzerland! The city looked  from the view and had a very rustic appearance, filled with fresh air infused with a slight smell of burning wood. The village overlooked a magnificent lake, that was encompassed by two gigantic mountains. The water -- fresh from the mountains -- had a very unique deep blue color to it. I could see  another massive mountain towering on the other side of the lake. The mountain that formed around the village creating a valley. During the day the streets are full of people -- tourists, locals, shopkeepers, all kinds of people -- but later in the day, less than a few minutes past six, the streets become deserted... Once the streets were full of bustling people, open stores, and the smells of delicious croissants from the nearest conditorie were now gone. As if there never was anything there, It felt like an abandoned city hit by a disaster!

In the morning I trekked up the to the summit of the mountain. . . where my adventure was soon to begin. As I bravely boarded the chairlift, I gazed off into the distance; the mountains were tall and wide with already snow capped peaks. As I ascended the mountain I gazed at the scenery. I thought to myself:

“What did I sign up for?!”

Farther up cattle freely roamed the lands along with other wild animals. The mountain first started with rolling hills followed by a grassy treelands filled with blooming trees and and fresh scents of fir trees. Following the grassy treelands was a barren treeless landscape far above the village. The deserted landscape features made it early looking like something terrible happened there. But the most barren place in the valley contained the most amount of life. As the chairlift slowed at the summit of the mountain, the wind swept and turned as I exited the gondola. I quickly realized that was no ordinary trail.

“Oh crap, I didn’t expect this!”

I surveyed the scene with great caution, looking down the peak I saw a trail going through a very barren and dead landscape, looked like ‘no-man's land’ and looked a lot like what the US military training looks likes. . . also known as ‘boot-camp’! The trail was long and winding. I bravely saddled my bike while adjusting my mask on my face. I looked down the trail with a great sense of determination on my face. And then I pushed off…

Not even one second later I hit the track! Adrenaline ran through my veins, my heart: pumping like crazy, I was scared out of my mind! The bike hit the dirt and I immediately reacted just as fast. I’d guide the bike over rolling bumps of mud and turns so sharp is was nearly impossible to turn without an occasional slide. The brakes on the bike were virtually obsolete, they provided little to no traction on the muddy surface, plus there was little need for a slower pace. The trail led up bald rugged mountainous peaks covered in mud and snow. The cold was felt like sharks nipping on your fingers. I trekked a long long way down the mountain, through cold, sub-zero, windy peaks, to pools of murky mud, all the way down to beautiful grasslands. As I descended through the fog, from the cold and dark and barren landscape, a light so bright appeared in front of me, all the cold, all the mud, all the snow: gone. As if nothing had ever happened. I was greeted by a warm hit from the sun’s rays. I couldn’t believe my eyes! The muddy, dirty, and cold trail was all behind me, I couldn’t believe that a path that terrible could lead to such a beautiful location! Birds sang, flowers grew, and life seemed untouched by the terrible and bitter cold a few meters above me.

The hard, long, and grueling trail led to a beautiful valley, filled with scents of flowers, pine cones, and fresh grass. It felt like a completely different world filled with life and sunlight, I continued down the now pleasantly beautiful trail. I could see a magnificent valley filled with beautiful flowers, chiming birds, and blossoming with life. The trees gave off a very pleasant smell, and more amazing how unique this trail was, the trail passed right side by side to a rock slide. Massive boulders and stones lay in peace, placed in almost perfect symmetry. It looked as if one small misplaced stone could send the whole barrage of rock, mud, and dirt down into the Saint Moritz Lake. The stones looked like a miniature pyramid towering over the valley. The environment looked so ‘untouched’ by any human activity in the area. Ground hogs were about, cattle roaming free, wild animals completely unfazed by any type of human interaction.

The long winding trail led down from the barrenness of the summit down to the blooming life of the grasslands. In the distance I could hear cattle bells ringing. I could see planes majestically flying over head, coming to and fro the Samedan Private Airfield. I could see the village not too far down. The winding trails led into a densely packed forest and over a marsh area with a bridge. The beautiful weather continued all the way down to the village. As I was approaching the village I could clearly see the shimmering water on the lake. I had finally reached the village! After a few some hours on a bike I had finally reached the base! As I biked into the city I looped around the lake. As I passed by I looked into the magnificent water, clearer than clear. The village across the lake looked perfect, with smokey chimneys, cobblestone roads, and smells of pastries on every corner.

As I biked around the lake I began to return back into the village. I remember riding down the narrow streets to the hotel. I felt like I was on fire, as I was descending the mountain a felt a sudden increase in temperature in an instant I was sweating. Nothing could prepare me for how exciting it was going to be. As I approached the hotel, I remember jumping off the bike and walking inside. I looked at the bike and saw how filthy the tires were, it's as if every single gram of dirt was hanging on my tire, and then I looked at my shoes. Boy oh boy were they filthy.  It looked like I walked through a rain forest and picked up every single grain of dirt and mug on my feet. My foot all the way up to my ankle was drenched in mud. I couldn’t wait to take a nice warm shower. As I made it up to my room, I remember leaving dirt tracks behind myself, but was too exhausted to do anything. As I entered my room I just collapsed on my bed - Exhausted and soaked - . I slept so long I completely lost count of the already elapsed time!

The next morning everything hurt - It felt like a had bricks hanging off my leg muscles - the pain wasn’t as much painful as annoying. My legs were in agony, my brain was filled with confusion. It wasn’t a painful pain it was more of a pleasant accomplishment pain. The pain ::  though is painful :: reminds of the day before, that reminds you of good memories and adventure. Memories of an adventure worth remembering. And at the end of the day, it was all worth it.