On a beautiful spring day, I packed up my photography gear to hike up the steep Chestnut Top trail, known for its abundance and variety of wildflowers in a relatively concentrated area. I had avoided this trail in past trips due to the crowds and narrow path, making setting up a tripod challenging. As I made my way up, I noticed a couple admiring the wildflowers and moving slowly up the trail, frequently stopping to look at a particular wildflower. We passed each other several times when I stopped to take some photographs. An easy conversation started with them, and I found them a delight. The man, who was 87 years old, and his wife come every year to see the wildflowers here. They had just arrived, and this was the first stop of their trip. They were enthusiastic about the wildflowers and often asked if I knew the name of a particular plant. The husband asked me to let him know if I saw any Jacks (Jack in the pulpit), and soon, I spotted one, and he was delighted to see it. It was almost like he was visiting an old friend he hadn't seen since last year. We shared stories about our families and continued hiking. As the trail got steeper, the wife said, “Honey, I'm ready to turn back now.” The first time he didn't hear what she said, he whispered that his hearing wasn't so great. After a few more yards up the trail, she repeated (a little louder this time), “Honey, I'm ready to turn back now.” He pointed to a bend in the path, encouraging her to reach the spot where the Trailing Arbutus had been seen on previous hikes. He asked, ‘I wonder if it is blooming.’ I, too, wondered the same. I thought how amazing it would be to see it, to bend down and smell its sweet flowers and hopefully get a photograph of it. However, this was not to be, and his wife finally pleaded that she couldn't go on. The husband's disappointment was written on his face, but he quickly and cheerfully said OK, let's head back down. I told my goodbyes to them and continued to see if I could find the Trailing Arbutus.
Not 5-10 minutes more, I rounded the bend in the trail, and to my delight, just like they had said, was the Trailing Arbutus, and it was in full bloom. I removed my heavy pack, set my tripod down, got to my knees, and bent over to smell the sweet fragrance of this delicate plant. It was as lovely a smell as I had remembered. I found an excellent composition and began photographing.
After 10 minutes, I finished photographing, packed my gear, and headed down the trail. As I was hiking back down, I had a brainstorm. I wanted to catch up with them to get their contact information and send them a photograph of the Trailing Arbutus, hoping this would lift their spirit. I rushed down the trail, but they had gotten further ahead than I thought. I saw them driving off just as I reached the parking lot. I was disappointed for not getting their names earlier, but I hoped that I would see them again one day.
Quite nicely told. And photographed.