Great Escape

an afternoon on Mt. Baldy // California

By Lauren di Matteo

WRITTEN BY NICOLE BRAVO

Visiting family can be a very pleasant diversion, however, after a busy work week, food and conversation is sometimes not enough of a break. I needed some space to think along with a little physical exertion, so I hopped in the car and headed to a nearby trailhead. On my way, noticing the temperature rising to the mid-80s, I concluded that sweating in the heat was not the refreshment I had intended. Passing the turn for the trailhead parking, I continued onward on a road I had never driven before.

A few miles up, I saw the sign for Mt. Baldy Village and a wave of nostalgia washed over me. The last time I was on this road was at the tender age of six, squished in the backseat of the car between four of my brothers all buzzing with excitement. Again and again I would stare down at my feet with a giddy smile—my very first pair of snow boots. Escaping the chaos of chattering voices around me, I would gaze out the window at those mighty trees finding repose in their quiet strength. Too little to see what was up ahead, I swayed with every bend in the road, each turn increasing the anticipation stirring within as I dreamt of Santa Clause and elves and snow.

There definitely was not going to be any snow this time around but I did find the tranquility I experienced as a child. I wandered around the tiny village consisting of a few houses, visitor center, lodge, and motel. Walking up short dirt trails and taking in the beauty of creation refreshed my soul in a way I scarcely expected. With an increased appetite—as always happens when out in nature—I sat on the patio of the lodge’s restaurant for a late afternoon lunch, the light streaming between the leaves, dancing upon my skin. I breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, relishing the soothing sounds of a menagerie of nearby birds while the cool pine-scented air swept over me.