Kundalini and the Art of Being ... 1face again. Besides, it would undoubtedly help my chances hitch-
hiking.
I continued north into Wyoming, passed through Jackson Hole,
and arrived finally at Grand Tetons National Park. I had last been
there on a cross-country trip with my aunt when I was eight years
old, and I’d always wanted to visit there again. I thought I might look
for some seasonal work there, since I could use some more traveling
money; or at least do some real backpacking, since I had all of the
necessary gear along with me.
I was dropped off inside the park by a man who pointed me to-
wards a campground that he’d thought, for some reason, was free.
This seemed unlikely inside a National Park, but I figured it was
worth investigating. Sure enough, when I hiked up to the attendant,
I found that it was $10 a night, as I had expected. Having only about
$10 to my name at this point, this was a little beyond my budget,
since I planned to stay in the area for at least a few days.
Across the road from the campground was a huge, sage-filled
meadow, with a small forest of aspen trees perhaps a quarter-mile
from the road. I climbed over the barbed-wire fence and walked out
to the grove of trees. It was perfect. It felt like an oasis of trees in a
wide-open valley—shady, with a soft, clean grassy floor amidst the
sparse trees. It seemed the ideal place to rest for a while. I figured that
if I were careful, I would go unnoticed and have no lasting impact on
the area.
I set up my tent so that it was hidden from view, then pulled out
a pouch of tobacco, which I smoked very occasionally when on the
road, and rolled up a cigarette. I sat against a log in the grass, blowing
smoke rings into the air, relaxing in the silence, allowing my mind to
wander, now that I’d found somewhere pleasant to rest for a little
while. I spent the next four days mostly just hanging out in the little
grove, contemplating, sleeping, reading, writing, and sorting out both
my thoughts, and my plans for the future.
After my respite, I left a small bag of unnecessary items tucked un-
der a bush in the grove, got a camping permit from the nearby ranger