Day 4: August 4, 2017 A hike of remembering and a hike to remember...
The plan was to hike on Saturday, 8/5 in the evening to have dinner on top and to remember with prayer. The plan was to watch the sunset and then do Kirtan Sohila paath (evening Sikh prayer) at the top of Mount Mansfield to remember our dear friend, Benjamin Wood-Lewis who passed away 2 years ago and to remember the 6 Sikhs who lost their lives in the Oak Creek Gurdwara shooting 5 years ago. The ultimate goal of this plan was to feel Chardi Kala . This is the Sikh concept of eternal optimism. What better place than the top of the mountain? Our plans were to be foiled. Our often beautiful sunset behind the Adironack Mountains with Lake Champlain in the forefront was covered by clouds, wind, pelting rain and ominous thunder. Instead, hungry as we ascended, we stopped under cover and ate our sandwiches. We spent all of 2 minutes at the top deciding if we were going to risk the lightening risk coming down Sunset Ridge. And, although, Kirtan Sohila, is the shortest of the 5 daily p...