Mountain's Awakening from Wafting Hush by Dave Mull

"Wait! Stop, listen…" says Charley. We are standing, holding our breath on the overlook, struck with wonder as we hear loud bursts and cracking sounds that seem to be traveling down the mountainside across the ravine. We had been identifying and following coyote tracks on our hike, so our first thoughts are: It's them!" They must have been traveling on loose ground and knocked rocks, no, boulders! and they are rolling down, echoing from across the way. Charley is almost sure the sound is coming from animals…then it happens again. We listen and look eagerly. Again! But no trace of crashing boulders or stumbling animals. Who the? What the? Where's the source? After some time peering out, we notice that the rocky mountainside opposite us is covered in ice. But it is fairly warm out. Soon, with spring the mountain will be rid of snow and ice altogether. With this thought a connection is made in our minds: lakes make explosive noises when their ice breaks in spring; the sound we hear now is similar to that of the lakes' thawing. That's it! It must be! The mountain is thawing, and what a loud and eerie bellowing it projects out into the world as it does. It is as if the mountain is waking from hibernation and wants the whole valley and the neighboring peaks to know it. We now sit quietly and listen intently to what the mountain has to say…"Wake up! Move your limbs! Be free! Thaw your hearts, you mountain dwellers! Hear my strength, you, in the valley! Spring is here."

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