Claudia’s Embrace

First Date

I remember it like it was yesterday. After meeting Claudia at the Clarion Inn and instantly falling head-over-heels in love, I was going to do everything in my power to attempt to woo this woman. With her sister and brother-in-law present, I asked her if the four of us could go out sometime. I did this for several reasons. For one, I wanted to be polite. Second, her sister was being protective, and third, I wanted to ensure Claudia understood me when I spoke. Her sister was fluent in both English and Spanish and could translate for us. After a few awkward moments, Claudia agreed; the four of us planned to go out to a local bar and listen to some live music the following Friday night. After what seemed like an eternity, Friday night finally arrived. Unfortunately, I received a phone call from Claudia’s sister informing me that Claudia was not feeling well and that I would have to take a rain check. Devastated, my puffed up ego immediately deflated. What am I going to do? I thought. I could not endure waiting any longer to see Claudia.

Friday night passed and Saturday morning arrived. I had planned to go snowshoeing at Kaaterskill Falls, in the Catskill Mountains of New York. I had frequently visited this area in autumn to photograph both the upper and lower falls, just as the maple and ash trees unveiled a rich kaleidoscope of reds, oranges, and yellows. The force of the water plummeting ninety-five feet generates a spray that coats the surrounding rocks and produces a slippery surface for anyone foolish enough to venture too close. In the winter, however, when temperatures drop well below freezing, the upper and lower falls form solid sheets of ice, creating a winter wonderland for those intrepid enough to discover the hidden secrets that lie within.

I was confronted with the following dilemma: should I call Claudia and ask her to accompany me on this venture? My Spanish was pretty poor and, quite frankly, I felt a bit intimidated. I wrestled back and forth for hours before finally deciding to call her. First, I had to figure out how to say in Spanish, “Would you like to go snowshoeing with me tomorrow?” I think I managed something slightly intelligible but not grammatically correct. “Quiere va con mío zapatos con nieve mañana?”

I fumbled momentarily with the tiny piece of paper on which I had scrawled out the date proposal as I dialed Claudia’s sister’s phone number. After the first ring Claudia picked up the receiver and said hello. I immediately said, “Hello, this is Joe. We met last week.”

“You want to speak to Tommy?”

“No,” I said, “I want to speak to you.” I took a deep breath and with a thick New York accent, along with an inability to roll my r’s, I uttered the best Spanish I could muster. “Quiere va zapatos con nieve con mío mañana?” emanated from my lips. There was a slight pause on the other end of the line before Claudia responded.

“You will be the host.”

“Yes, I will be the host,” I said.

“OK, pick me up at eleven o’clock on Sunday.”

That night I prepared the essentials for our little excursion. Some of you may be thinking, first date and you are taking the poor girl snowshoeing. Does she even know what that is? I packed two pairs of snowshoes, one pair of crampons (boot attachments with sharp spikes used to grip the ice), extra layers of clothes, a first-aid kit, water, and chocolate, as well as some cheese I had purchased when visiting Prague. What woman wouldn’t be impressed with fine European chocolate and cheese? I thought. With the provisions for our venture organized, I loaded them into my trusty backpack and was ready. Sunday morning arrived and I made the one-hour drive from my home in Pennsylvania to Claudia’s sister’s house in Newburgh, New York. Claudia, dressed head to toe in winter garb, immediately greeted me with an inviting smile.

We made the less-than-one-hour drive to Kaaterskill, traversing curvy mountain roads, which gradually ascended in elevation, and admiring the hemlock and spruce trees lining either side of the road, blanketed in a fresh white powder from the previous night’s snow. We parked in a small dirt pull-off along the mountain road. After instructing Claudia on safety, I gave her a pair of specialized walking sticks to help with balance and to grip the ice and gently strapped the crampons onto her boots, adjusting them to fit. I put on my snowshoes, complete with crampons, and grabbed my trusty backpack. Slowly I led as we made the half-mile hike along the icy trail to the frozen waterfalls.

The falls resembled curtains of ice frozen in time. The base was littered with ice-covered boulders haphazardly strewn about, making it impossible to navigate any closer. Off to the right of the trail was a small ridge about seven feet high, completely covered in ice. I had an idea! Maybe we could climb this ridge and get closer to the falls. I went first, digging my crampons into the gently sloping ridge, and Claudia followed while I instructed her. After a few swift kicks into the icy ridge, I firmly grabbed Claudia by the hand and pulled her atop the ridge. The ridge led us to another trail, which, to our amazement, emerged directly behind the lower falls. We were in a state of disbelief as we witnessed the incredible beauty surrounding us. Rays of sunlight refracted through the frozen waterfall, producing light in a series of blue hues; the force of the falling water had generated a spray that had completely covered the jumble of boulders, some the size of a small car; thick sheets of ice resembling frozen rivers carpeted the ground and the eroded embankment behind the falls. Claudia exclaimed, “This reminds me of Superman’s cave from the movie!”