Mountain Dreams

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

What initially 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 an attack on their village in Old England, I wrote it down and titled it The Loud Lights.

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 awful dreams, these leave me uplifted and refreshed.

All four mountains are portrayed as immensely desirable destinations. The dreams make me feel well-off and lucky because I possess secrets that few people have.

Each time I dream about one of these mountains, I remember having dreamed of them many times before.  In each dream, I say to myself, “Wow, so 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 I finally gave in because it's essential for authors to "complete their work" and not 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. 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 there are welcoming and allow us to start the hike from their land, making the journey much easier 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 more pleasant.

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 in the world, 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 (red 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 and honored to have learned of 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 just under the top of El Capitan (red 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 under the tops of the cliffs.

Click to zoom in.

In the dream, I always wonder how 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 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?

The dreams symbolize to me the desire for an easier and clearer life. I apparently also have the desire to be special. Wouldn't you like to know how to overcome your most difficult challenges? How powerful would that knowledge be for you?

We're all grappling with how to make our lives successful and understood. I appreciate the few night dreams I have that suggest this may happen someday.

Tragedy

What’s tragic is that all four of these dreams stopped occurring once I wrote this post.  I may never experience them again.  This is disappointing to me 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.

Update (8/31/2025): I dreamed last night that the mountain lake resort had been abandoned. The buildings were in disrepair, and the lake had become stagnant, covered in red algae. What have I done?