Fly Into Dream

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Blue, blue sky covers us. Green forest rolls on and on towards peaks etching the horizon. I'm in Revelstoke. Rather, gazing down on it. Snug against the east bank of the Columbia River. The MIGHTY COLUMBIA! From here , near the summit of Mount Mackenzie, only the River and the railway right-of-way are clearly visible. The town, an IMPRESSION from this elevation.
Paragliding is why i'm up on this mountain today. I'm going to FLY with a guy I have full confidence in to get me down safely. Alan. A long time coming, this flight. My cynicism over the years referring to Alan's passion to fly as a "death sport". Moderated now by common sense and a desire of my own to open up to what life offers. Alan' s fifteen plus years of experience paragliding and all-round conscientious approach to mountain fun puts me in good hands. This summer is the inaugural season for his tandem flights from the subalpine with the cooperation of Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR).
http://www.revelstokemountainresort.com/
The drive up the mountain by the cat track takes us forty-five minutes, and introduces me, my daughter, Molly and her four year old son, Quitzma, to the significant changes that have been made on the mountain in the past five years. Ski trails, glading, chairlifts and quads, roads, houses and condos. The whole gamut of development. But today wasn't about "tsk, tsk". It was about inhaling clean air and soaring with our immaginations. So we marvel at what's been done and say a prayer for the future.
When you're pleasantly ignorant. it all seems so simple. Just lay out the 'chute, hitch up the harness, and run (downhill) like hell! The big jerk backwards wasn't a signal that we were tits up, but an indicator that the sail was full and we were heading up into the infinite blue! Twirling, whirling, unfurling on invisible drafts of air! Then descending in swift circles to the rich green grasses of valley bottom. Did this all really happen, I asked myself?

A fine poet once wrote a dedication to me in her book: "for Brian, who flies into his dreams, unauthorized."

This flight, a metaphor for so many human quests and aspirations, was, for me, a taste of going beyond the ordinary.

I'll let the photos do the talking now. See in them what you can. They only explain the half of it.

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Comments

[Alan Hintermeister]

magnificent
Awesome story and photos and a grand adventure. I wish I could have been there to see you running down the hill towards the cliff.

[Kay Robinson]

WOW!
Dear Brian: I can't believe what I'm seeing. How did you ever get up the nerve to try hang-gliding? It surely looks like a lot of fun, but just don't ask me to tr y it. I have tohave my feet planted firmly on the earth, except when I'm flying to Florida or some other interesting place. Good for you! Add all the adventure to your life you can handle. You'll have lots of time to be old! Love, Kay