LOCALadk Magazine

Summer 2019 LOCALadk Magazine 61 LOCALadk Aconcagua Tucked in our sleeping bags, Jason Gollan, Justin Thal- heimer, Spence Bucolo, and I lie on our backs and gaze at the Argentinian night sky. This part of the world is wildly remote and free of light pollution. There are layers of stars I've never seen before, and if I reached out my hand I feel like I could touch them. With a background as a naturalist guide, Jason points out the zigzags of Cassiopeia and tells us how she re- ceived her banishment to the galaxy above. It's our last night in Aconcagua Provincial Park and I settle in for a good stor y. I rest my hands atop my belly, which is full of roasted chicken and sausage that Hugo, a park ranger, prepared for our ex- pedition team. Ever yone has been extremely kind to us. They know about the helicopter rescue and that two of our teammates are cur- rently in a hospital in Mendoza. Tomorrow we'll step off trail and I'll be able to call loved ones. What do I say? Where do I begin? I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk about it. I want to stay here under the stars, bathed in the smell of campfire and listening to stories about Greek gods and goddesses. Their lives were filled with love, joy, sorrow, and heartbreak—all the emotions one experiences on high mountain expedi- tions. Jason finishes his stor y and we stare at the W-like con- stellation, picturing that it's a vain queen bound to a chair. I pull my sleeping bag up to my chin and feel a kinship with the adventures that created the constellations above me. Some- how it helps me appreciate the challenges we've endured for the past two weeks. Journey By Bethany Garretson

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