Hammerhorn Mountain
by Garry Gay, John Thompson, and Michael Dylan Welch
First published in Hammerhorn Lake (Foster City, California: Press Here, 1995) by Garry Gay, John Thompson, and Michael Dylan Welch. Written 3–4 September 1994 on a camping trip at Hammerhorn Lake, California. Hammerhorn Mountain is a 7,543-foot (2,299-meter) peak in Trinity County. We climbed to the top of this peak, where the remains of an old fire lookout tower gave us views to the Sierras far to the east, and even to Mt. Shasta to the north. + +
mountain trail—
the woodpecker’s music
ends at the tree line Garry
grasshopper riding
on the brim of his hat John
cloudless sky—
thistle-down
over the summit Michael
wind picking up the sound
of the rock slide Garry
weighing
a heart-shaped stone
to carry home John
three hikers
in the mountain’s shadow Michael