It was nothing short of magic
Mammoth, California. Sierra Nevada Mountains.
It was our first night out on the trail. We’d had an early start to the day, meaning we reached our campsite with plenty of daylight left. The spot was perfect: a little alcove just behind the massive boulder that overlooked Shadow Lake. Professor, Sentinel and I set up our tents in the center of camp, while Scout and Keeper erected their larger tent a few paces away. It was cozy — at least, as cozy as one could get in a rocky clearing. But as night edged closer, the air began to cool, and the warming heat of the sun was disappearing quickly.
“I’m going swimming,” Scout said. Her voice carried a tone of finality — as if to say, and nothing, not even the cold, is going to stop me. Her assertiveness made me smile; she wasn’t always the kind of person who would voice the things she wanted so unapologetically.
“Me, too!” I said, with admittedly more confidence than I felt. I could sense the shift in the air, the threat of a chilly night closing in. The mere notion of shivering was unpleasant. But let’s be honest: I refuse to be the kind of person who doesn’t jump into a beautiful, pristine mountain lake.
The others decided to join us, with varying degrees of enthusiasm. It took several minutes to walk down to the muddy beach. (Professor, the most experienced hiker among us, warned us against camping too close to the water.) We chatted along the way, fantasizing already about the luxuries we’d have when we got back to our homes in Los Angeles.
Once we got to the water’s edge, we all stripped down to our skivvies: a collection of bathing suits, underwear, and partial nudity. One by one, we ventured into the water, inch by inch. It was absolutely frigid. Scout giggled. I howled. Sentinel walked stoically towards the lake’s center, the water creeping slowly up his tall frame. Professor and Keeper gritted their teeth as the gentle waves hit their sensitive bits.
Eventually, we had all reach a stopping point, refusing to let the freezing water encompass any more of our bodies. It was a stand-off.
“We should all dunk together,” someone said. I don’t recall who. It was like a collective sentiment that found its way to one person’s lips.
A consensus of enthusiastic yeahs! and let’s do its! followed. For whatever reason, after a long day of adventure, it just felt like the right thing to do.
And so, we gathered in a circle, holding hands, agreeing to dunk at the count of three. “We’re in this together,” I added with a nod.
“Ready?” Someone prompted. “One, two, three!”
Our bodies dropped. The icy water engulfed each of us. The fatigue of our strenuous hike was shocked out of our bodies. It wasn’t until we came back up — bodies shivering, a chorus of laughter filling the air — that we let go of each others’ hands.
Keeper smiled. He has one of those smiles that makes everyone around him about twenty percent happier. “That was so much easier to do together!” he exclaimed before throwing himself into the water again. The rest of us shielded ourselves from his splashing. (To what end? Who knows. We were already drenched.)
It wasn’t long before we decided that we’d had quite enough of the icy water. We ventured back to the lake’s edge, careful not to slip on the slick muddy bottom. Towels were shared, and we dried ourselves quickly before resuming conversations of the meals we would have back at home. Slowly but surely, we climbed our way back to camp — hot chocolate and warm sleeping bags awaiting.
It all happened so fast; it feels a little like a fever dream. To a passerby, I’m sure it would look like nothing at all: a brief dip in the lake for a group of friends. But for us, I can’t help but feel like it was something so much more. It was a memory forged. The sort of thing you talk about over Thanksgiving dinner years down the line. I can already see it.
It was nothing short of magic — the kind that can only happen when you’re in it together ✨
___
Dedicated to Scout, Keeper, Professor, and Sentinel — here’s to more icy lakes, myconids, and talking tents. I love you all.
