A non-emergency medical van quietly pulled up to an empty space near the Bear Lake Ranger Station. A red Subaru pulled up next to it and a middle-aged couple got out. The late September day was sunny with an unusually calm wind for that area of Rocky Mountain National Park. The back of the medical vehicle opened. The driver and an assistant pulled a gurney out. A person was lying in the gurney bed, but I could not see him until they swung the wheeled stretcher toward the trailhead.
The man had white hair and pinkish skin and was wrapped in a white sheet. The accompanying woman with graying hair placed a bright colored orange and blue blanket over him and tucked it in. The attendant pushed the gurney toward the trailhead while the couple followed.
I was volunteering that day at the trailhead. We are there to give advice about hiking and to make sure people know the conditions. I was not sure what to say but I nodded to the procession as they moved into the paved plaza and headed across the wooden bridge to the pea-gravel trail to Bear Lake. Other visitors waited momentarily as they crossed the bridge and headed toward the right on the busy trail. The group did not hesitate and I assumed they had a plan. Circumnavigating the ½ mile around the lake was not possible with their equipment. The man in the portable bed closed his eyes as he bumped along the trail.
I waited several minutes and then walked the 50 yards to the lake. As presumed, they stopped at a place that volunteers called “Picture Point. Benches sit beside the lake and people often take photos with Hallet Peak and Flattop Mountain reflected in Bear Lake.
The attendant raised the stretcher slightly so the man could see the lake and the mountains. The couple stood on each side of him. The woman patted his arm. They talked softly. Visitors continued to take photos at the photo spot and meandered quietly nearby.
After 15 minutes, the attendant backed the portable bed and turned it back toward the parking lot. The old man’s face showed a relaxed smile and his eyes were brighter as they walked by me. I smiled and thanked them for visiting the park—my response to many people returning from the trails.
This incident happened years ago. I think about it as I reflect on what I might want as my last wishes. I wonder how the man felt as he viewed this landscape likely for the last time.
A visit to a beautiful landscape would be high on my list when I say my goodbyes. It am reminded of the power of nature every day and the importance of special places such as parks.
Beautiful in all ways. Thank you
Karla,
Thanks for the food for thought. Though I have yet been able to articulate it to my satisfaction, part of my interest in going on long walks over the past several years has been to reconnect with the earth from which I emerged so long ago and the earth that I will reside in when my time comes. It feels like an impending reunion of sorts.
This story made me tear up… what a special gift that family gave to that man. And how special it obviously was to him to be in that special place of beauty and peace. We should all be that lucky.