Lulu City

One day in early August I ventured back across the Divide to hike to a place called LuLu City. It is the site of an old gold mining town that reached its peak glory days in the late 1800’s. Today very little remains to let us know a town was ever here. After passing the site we continued on to a peaceful spot along the Colorado River. It was a relatively flat grassy spot that was well shaded by the surrounding trees. We chose to stop here in this peaceful place to eat our lunch and rest for a bit. As we sat there, I listened to my companions chat with one another. Some were talking about the history of LuLu, while others shared their reason for vacationing here in the mountains. As I listened to the chatter and ate my sandwich I began to reflect on the various reasons people come to this wild place.

So many people come up here to the high country for such a variety of reasons and have been doing so for hundreds of years. Some of the earliest American explorers that first came to these mountains did so for the adventure while others were running from the past they left behind them. The inhabitants of LuLu City had come to the mountains like so many others in that era to seek their fortune in gold and other minerals. Today tourists come here for somewhat different reasons. Some are here for an adventure they can brag about to their friends back home while others are just trying to escape their somewhat drab “normal” lives back wherever they came from. Then, there are those who venture out here for the reason I chose to make this my home, for the sense of peace and serenity these mountains can bring. For all the different reasons that brought and continue to bring people out here, how many of them actually find what they seek? Did those seeking to escape their past manage to outrun their demons out here? Did all the miners and prospectors claim a vast fortune and live their days out in wealth and comfort? Do the modern day adventure seekers truly feel that adventurous and bold upon returning home? Does everyone find their desired peace and serenity amongst the tall hills?

Simple logic tells us that it is simply impossible that everyone received what they sought from the mountains. History only confirms what we already know to be true, but we also know that some lucky individuals did indeed find what they were after and many others that did not find their personal goal found something else just as valuable if not more so. The man who was a murderer back east made his peace with God after confessing his sins. The miner did not find a fortune in gold but raised a fine loving family blessed with good health. The adventurer did not make it up the peak he dreamed of but falls in love and marries the girl he meets out in the mountains. For my own part, I wandered out here to this magnificent land not sure where life was taking me but have now found a home where my soul is happy, content, and free.

We travel to so many places seeking so many different things. Sometimes we find what we are after and sometimes we do not. We find something completely different than we dreamed of and some of us find nothing at all. These mountains are teaching me to take whatever gift I find and not waste time seeking that which I do not really need. The wild places can give us peace of heart, mind, and spirit. Once we acquire those gifts I believe all else will follow in good time. Gorge your spirit on a wild place and let the crows feed on the mundane.