The feelings don’t change. Every year it seems very much like a usual hike, except for a few extra items in our pack….then it happens. We get to the peak and everyone rushes…can’t get it up fast enough, like it should have already been there. It’s up..we look. We feel a chill. We feel our pride. How often do we even get a chance to raise our flag, especially with so much feeling? Lunch…stoves boil, stories are exchanged, people laugh and everything is back to normal. Then another group comes by and asks what we are doing and why. The chill returns…the pride returns. We are all bound by the fact we are all Americans. We are bound by the closeness we feel towards our brother and sisters who died on Sept 11.
Trip Report – A group of old friends, new friends, relatives, strangers, Americans were seen on the top of Bondcliff reciting the pledge of allegiance followed by moment of silence for those who died on Sept. The flag was taken down (it should always be there) but will fly again.
Steve
