Mountain Dreams

Hiking up Angel's Landing, Zion National Park, Utah

What sparked my interest in writing was when everyone kept telling me I had amazing dreams (the sleeping kind), and that I should write them down.  After experiencing a particularly vivid dream about two young sisters witnessing the attack on their village in Old England, I wrote it down and called it, The Loud Lights.

I had another dream about a new bride who abandoned her husband on their honeymoon at an island resort north of Fiji.  I wrote that one down too and called it, Inhale.

My frequent terrible dreams leave me exhausted in the morning after waking up.

Then there are a few good dreams. Four of them, which I've had repeatedly for many years, are about four different mountains.  Unlike my usual dreams, these leave me uplifted and refreshed.

Two of the dreams feature shortcuts (not there in real life) to the tops of mountains. All four mountains are portrayed as immensely desirable places to be. The dreams make me feel well-off and lucky because I possess secret knowledge few people have.

Each time I dream about one of these mountains, I remember having dreamed them many times before.  In each dream, I say to myself, “This is what I’ve been dreaming about for so long.  I finally get to see it in real life.”

Then I wake up.

I’ve put off publishing this post for a year because no one wants to read about other people’s dreams. But finally, I gave in because it's important for authors to "complete their work" and not just dabble and flit about. "Finish the job," my mother always told me.

What are these four great mountains?

Mt. Timpanogos, Utah

Hike elevation change: 4,500 feet

Hike length: 14 miles round trip

I’ve hiked to the top of Mt. Timpanogos twice in my life.  It is what hikers formally call a butt-kicker. In real life, the two routes to the top are either from the north end (the left side of the image) or from the backside.

Click to zoom in.

In my dream, there's a farming community on the front side of the mountain.  The people in the community are welcoming and allow us to start the hike from their land, making the journey simpler and more enjoyable.

Every time I have this dream, I wonder why no one else knows about the shorter path or about the friendly farmers who make the way to the top easier.

Angel’s Landing, Zion National Park, Utah

Hike elevation change:1,500 feet

Hike length: 5.4 miles round trip

It’s not the most challenging hike, but it's terrifying for most people.  Imagine walking up a steep, rocky incline with 1,500-foot vertical drops on both sides of you.

In my dream, there's a secret passage (dashed line) carved into the side of the mountain—a tunnel with small windows where you could look out to the red rock canyon as you climb steadily upwards.

Click to zoom in.

Similar to my first dream, I feel exceptional knowing about such a clever and less dangerous shortcut.

El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California

The dream portrays a lavish resort for the most fortunate individuals, carved into the cliffs near the top of El Capitan (dashed line). You can't see it from the valley floor during the day.  But at night, if you're lucky, you can catch a glimpse of its lights just under the tops of the cliffs.

Click to zoom in.

In the dream, I always wonder how the people get up there.  It’s where I want to be someday.

Mountain Lake

Unlike the other three dreams, I don't know where this lake is in real life, or if it even exists.  On a mountain somewhere lies the most beautiful lake, with light blue water and a shoreline of white, silky sand.  The scene is astonishingly beautiful.  On the upstream side of the lake are shops, eateries, and rentals for boats and other aquatic gear.  Waterfalls roll off the downstream side in all directions.  Children laugh and cheer as they slide down the swift but smooth falls.

What do they mean?

To me, the dreams symbolize the desire for an easier and clearer life.

Wouldn't you like to know how to be victorious over your most difficult challenges? How powerful would that knowledge be for you?

Tragedy

What’s tragic is that all four of these dreams stopped occurring once I wrote them down.  I may never experience them again.  This is disappointing because nearly all my other dreams are nightmares.

Perhaps I should write about my bad dreams to make them all go away.

You don’t want to read about those.