Mark Forrester
Passing Through
Word spreads among the hiking club members that a legendary through-hiker is approaching their area.
Everyone is eager to meet him; a few have hiked with him on shorter outings or chatted with him at conferences. Others have only heard their stories.
A trip is hastily arranged: a small group will meet him at a state park and join his hike for twenty or so miles.
hemlock grove
first one deer
than another
It is tradition to offer to carry a through-hiker’s pack, and my father is the first to step up. Slipping the pack on his shoulders, he is startled by its unexpected weight. He tries not to let his discomfort show, walking and talking with the others, a little stooped and a little slow.
After a short distance, without calling attention to my father’s struggle, the through-hiker retrieves his backpack and soldiers on.
mountain stream
a young turtle slipping
onto shore
About the Author
Mark A. Forrester has taught English at the University of Maryland for more than 25 years. He is a high school dropout, a former chef, and a husband, father, and grandfather.