Mount Washington Park, Emerald View Regional Park, Mount Washington: 529 Norton Street
I’m sitting in my car, and the rain is coming down. Not a downpour, but more than a drizzle, just enough to make the walk through the park and down to the trails soggy and slippy. I wait five minutes, then another three. No sign of change, and I’m about to head home when “Andre and Phil Go Up a Hill” pops into my mind. It’s a short film that recently earned first place in the Pittsburgh 48 Hour Film Project, and it’s easy to find on YouTube if you haven’t seen it.
Without giving too many spoilers, it’s a 7-minute look at the long-time friendship between Andre, a goofy, exuberant optimist, and Phil, who approaches life with more uncertainty and skepticism. Together, they embark on a “road trip” up a very steep and challenging hill in Mount Washington; I saw definite parallels to what was facing me outside my mist-covered windshield. I put on my raincoat and pocketed the keys.
Yeah, it was a pretty wet hike, and slow going at times, but it was awesome. The old, closed sections of Grace and Rubicon Streets have become part of the Emerald View Park trail network, and I uncovered all sorts of hidden gems with each new twist and turn. Between the rain drizzling down between the trees and that magical aroma of wet forest, my earlier misgivings and concerns melted away. My “inner Phil” was grateful for listening to my “inner Andre.” Conditions are rarely perfect. Timing is never right. All we have is here and now.
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