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More about the Jumping Cliffs. before/after
Yesterday was just one of those days.
Not one of those days where everything goes wrong, but one of those days of unabashed recklessness.
I got up late, as a result of being awoken by a five a.m. phonecall, and my entire schedule was off track.
I reattatched my rear view mirror that had melted off in the heat of the Western sun, and prudent wisdom spoke, saying, "This is the high point. Safety stays home."
I then flipped prudent wisdom the bird, and set out on my day.
All week my friends have been telling me about this resevoir. One friend says it has white sand beaches. Another says it has cliffs that are great for diving.
So, like in days past, I loaded up a cooler with soda and sandwich materials, cut up some LSD, stowed the pot in an easily accesible place and lit out.
I felt great as I left. It was the rearview mirror, I believe. Accomplishment, with the good feel of tautness after a good workout.
I decided to wait until I found the road the resevoir was on, to drop acid. That didn't last too long.
Just half a hit. Don't want to be too weird among the hillbillies as I set to fling myself from a cliff.
Quick onset, but that didn't seem to do a whole lot. So I ate the other half a little while later, after I found the lake.
This resevoir was bunk. Acceptable sized lake, which was really a canyon the hillbillies dammed and filled with water. the loss of life and impact on the ecosystem is indeterminate. I have to imagine it really altered the ecosystem for miles and miles around.
Yep. Where's the tree hugging now? Condemn everyone else, but what goes on in their own backyard, the sins a generation old, are forgotten. There is moral high ground to be seized.
I found the place after sketchy directions from the sketchy guys I revisted to get a satchel of some marijuana.
And I drove about among the evergreen, after stopping and asking the whereabouts of the jumping cliff. Found a spot by the damn and sat at the top of the canyon, appreciating the sound of rushing water, unable to go near it.
But this is not the jumping cliffs, nor beaches of white sand. So I ventured back.
Saw a place they may have been talking about, where there were a bunch of cars parked on the side of the road, seemingly with no ingress to the resevoir, and one very stoned, most likely tripping, guy, wagging his hands in anxiety. I did not ask about the jumping cliffs, as he seemed to be carrying a full load taking care of himself.
On the way back to the "beach" I originally found, my car overheated. My car does have engine cooling issues of a sort. Runs hotter than I'd like, but then I feel that way about every car I've gotten that had a temperature gauge.
I watched it climb up and peak. Switched the engine off. Heard the coolant boil, and saw steam escaping.
With aplomb, I switched the engine back on, and cranked up the heater as hot as it would go, and turned the fan on as fast as I could get it to go.
Did the trick. In seconds the engine core temp was cut in half on the dial. Always knew that trick but never used it.
Made it back to the alpine beach, and made my way down the slope to see what I could see.
It was nice to bask in the sun, and gulp the clean air. Too many people for a spot like that, as there were people scattered all over the shoreline, and every word carried.
I scanned the cliffs, and several looked excellent for jumping, but no one was. It was illegal, and there were lots of park rangers everywhere.
Also, it was posted ominously, "NO SKIN CONTACT WITH WATER."
So what's the fuckin' point? A bunch of water to look at, whoopie.
I could see why it was posted so, as many of the illegals and white trash would likely let their kid go with messy diapers and such into the water...indeed using it like a common washing area or something, leading to an ecoli breakout into the area water source.
And this was something I did not want to risk. No mood with a head full of acid and a heart full ice to push luck any furthur.
It was gorgeous. Very pretty looking. And not too hot at that altitude.
But with nature, I guess I'm more of a hands on type of guy. At our heart, we are animals, and our finer senses lead us to God, or whatever your notion of God is.
Oh, I will find these damned jumping cliffs. And I will risk whatever to fling myself into the murky black cold depths.
Just not now. Too many damned park rangers. I will wait until the time is right.
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