2021 (1) Prologue: A New Generation

After I got back from the lakes last year, the world did not come to an end, but it surely started a new beginning.  The events of 2020 are difficult to summarize in a few paragraphs, but that’s all I care to devote to a historically unforgettable year.  Covid-19 continued to ravage the globe, with over 2 million deaths worldwide.  The worst effects were felt here in the United States, with over 500,000 deaths in the first year.  This was mostly due to the Trump administration’s callous disregard and fraudulent denial of the severity of the disease; combined with its refusal to implement the safeguards and measures recommended by science.  This obfuscation and profound obtuseness eventually resulted in a new President being elected in the fall… although Trump and his acolytes refused to acknowledge defeat, promoting instead an alternative historical perspective that the election had been “rigged” and stolen from him.  The fact was, his incendiary rhetoric was wildly popular with a radical, racist minority of the country.  However, the diverse majority simply wanted equality, and freedom from the devastating societal impacts of the coronavirus.  The holidays brought unprecedented surges in virus cases, as folks fed-up with the quarantines and restrictions defied scientific advice (again), traveling around the country to mix with friends and family. The healthcare system was stretched to its limit, even though they were better equipped to handle it.

By the time 2021 rolled around, most people were ready to say goodbye to a horrid chapter in American history, and welcome the new administration.  President-elect Joe Biden, and the first female, Black, and Asian Vice President-elect, Kamala Harris, promised to make controlling the pandemic a top priority.  The disgruntled megalomaniac who still held power in the White House had other ideas, however.  Leveraging the facility of the Internet to spread his lies and hate-filled rhetoric to his rabid supporters, he organized a Washington D.C. rally on January 6, whipping the crowd of thousands of white supremacists into a frenzy, and directing them to “Stop the Steal,” by marching down the Mall to the U.S. Capitol, where Congress was in session at that very moment, certifying the Electoral College votes that would officially make Joe Biden the 46th President of the United States.  The proceedings were being overseen by none other than Trump’s own Vice President, whom he branded a traitor for not overturning the election results.  The belligerent mob was already primed to explode, but Trump’s incendiary rhetoric lit the fuse, and the scene exploded into a full-out insurrection, as the insurgents stormed the Capitol, overwhelming the meager police presence that had been intentionally thinned out to facilitate the assault.  The result was utter chaos, as hundreds of crazed Trump supporters breached police lines and entered the Capitol building, shouting “Hang Mike Pence,” and looking for Democratic lawmakers to capture and perhaps kill.  All of this activity unfolded not only on television, but on hundreds of cell phone videos being captured by the participants and bystanders.

Trump avoided strident calls to urge his supporters to stand down, and instead watched the chaos with delight, as it was his only chance to change the outcome of the election, and remain in power.  His primary motive (other than his sociopathic ego), was that he faced a tidal wave of lawsuits and criminal charges once he lost the protective armor of being President.  Eventually the National Guard showed up, after mysterious delays by Trump-appointed officials at the Pentagon, and order was restored… but astonishingly few arrests were made.  The bigoted insurrectionists that breached the U.S. Capitol in an effort to disrupt official government proceedings, capture, torture, or kill lawmakers, and overthrow the constitutionally-elected new administration, simply dispersed and went home.  Over the days and weeks that followed, Democrats were outraged, Republicans were defiantly complicit, and the polarization of politics in America was cemented for a generation.  The aftermath dominated the news cycles for weeks, even as the new President was sworn in on January 20 (protected by a 9-foot high fence around the Capitol and thousands of National Guard troops).  In his hard-won victory, President Biden inherited the most enormous challenges that perhaps any new leader in history had ever faced.

Immediately, he and his appointed Cabinet took charge of the situation, aided considerably by the slimmest majorities in the House and Senate.  Most of the resentful Republicans continued to support the deposed ex-President, who flew off to his mansion in Florida to lick his wounds and plot revenge against those he perceived as his enemies and betrayers.  Meanwhile, two new vaccines had been approved by the FDA, representing the fastest development of safe and effective inoculations in history.  President Biden quickly dismantled the ineffective and disruptive machines of obfuscation and disinformation left by the previous administration, and set to work getting the new vaccines distributed in a way that would deliver over 200,000 shots in arms over the first 100 days of his tenure.  He wound up more than doubling his initial goal, even as a third of the country still refused to cooperate, believing the lies Trump had instilled (and amplified by corrupt conservative media), and pledging not to support a President whom they considered to be illegitimate.  As winter passed into spring, Joy and I both got our two required doses of vaccine, and the country faced a new race between the ignorance and science.  Meanwhile, the virus continued to mutate and evolve into more virulent, rapidly-spreading strains that threatened to render the new vaccines ineffective.  The virus was still aided and abetted by copious displays of witlessness from Trump supporters (including nearly half of Congress), while science was bolstered by measurable progress in reducing the number of new cases and hospitalizations.

For me, the situation was similarly tenuous.  Joy and I were fortunate to still have our jobs, but the future of our country was very much in doubt.  Our family was safe, nobody we knew got the coronavirus, and our grandkids eventually returned to school for a couple of months before summer vacation.  As usual, I heard the call of the mountains, but this time the call was stronger than ever before.  I had the usual physical ailments and accidents to overcome, as well as lingering injuries and disabilities from a hard life, but I was determined to visit the Bear Lakes as early as possible – preferably during the Summer Solstice.  I asked my son-in-law Dimari if he wanted to join me this time, including my two oldest grandchildren: Jordan (16) and Miles (10), and they were really excited about it!  My plan was to have a multi-generational trip once again, which would be the first time since I introduced Fiona and Logan to the lakes on separate occasions; the last one over 20 years ago!

Then the universe conspired to test me, and see how badly I wanted to go.  My grandkids were very excited to try backpacking, but they led busy lives like everyone else.  Miles was participating in Little League playoffs, and Jordan was hanging out with friends.  To complete the obstacle course, I developed a strange rash that itched like crazy, and lasted over a month!  Our original target weekend of the Summer Solstice shifted to July 4… a holiday weekend again!  I wanted to catch a glimpse of the sun rising over Mt. Shasta on the Summer Solstice, but that would have to wait for another trip.  Who knew when the four of us could ever get together again?

Adding to the urgency and complicating our plans, the summer of 2021 brought about climate changes with a vengeance.  The Western United States was gripped by a drought of epic, historical proportions, and massive weather events known as “heat domes” dominated the forecast.  These formed over millions of acres of overheated land, and were so immovable that the jet stream even bent far to the north to go around them!  Ridiculous temperatures in the Pacific Northwest included 116 degrees in Portland, and over 120 degrees in British Columbia!  The area of Northern California that included the  Shasta-Trinity National Forest was known for being very hot during average summers, but these heat domes were from another planet!  It seemed as though the climate change chickens had finally come home to roost, and they were promptly barbecued for their sentimental attachments.  Those of us who loved the region, and used it for summer recreation, were in danger of being cooked alive, or being affected by catastrophic wildfires that created their own vortex of wind and intense heat known as “firenadoes.”  This happened a few years back in Redding, and was prone to reoccur at any time.  The Fourth of July was known for fireworks, of course, but the extreme fire danger didn’t stop the ignorant Central Valley counties from permitting them to be sold to people who were dumb enough to get drunk before lighting them off.  I had to check the forecasts, Cal Fire, vegetation dryness indexes, and other online resources before I felt safe bringing my grandkids inside the tinder box.

I packed some additional safeguards, including an expanded First Aid kit, a newfangled snake bite kit with a lurid hypodermic pump for drawing the venom out of a bite, and four N95 masks, in case we encountered heavy smoke.  This was one trip where I was happy to pack a bunch of things I hoped I would never use!