Thursday, January 25, 2007

Adventure Inspirations.....



"Inspiration is a fragile thing... who can say where it is born, and why it leaves us." M.Sangster
And that is reason enough for musing... Because as B. Cardozo said, "Method is much, technique is much...inspiration is even more."
Inspirations reflect imagination and can mean an in-spiriting, a breathing in, an inhalation of those energies, moments and influences, that animate & invigorate each of us... even in the midst of adversity or change...
Think of your own enthusiasms, the fire in your belly, and times that were for you ones of optimism and endless possibility. Inspiration can be like the coals the ancients carried with them that provided continual life for the tribe...
"Enthusiasm is the inspiration of everything great", wrote C. Bovee.
In my own journeys, such sparks came from Mentors, Mountain Elders, Guides, good friends & family, within moments of the adventure experiences themselves, and the many wilderness places I have seen, and aspire to yet see... Each style of adventure has often been an inspiration for undertaking the next...
Then there are the images, the readings, blogs, and posts, of so many others who offer unique perspectives on why we do what we do out there... Their quotes are not simple words but a language of enthusiasm and wonder that I breath in as I read, and which can illuminate as any sunrise can...
Then...when... "The well of inspiration dries up, and the muses fled", as C. Lint said, I know these sources are still there. Waiting to be visited again, especially during times of adversity, so we can recreate our passion for adventures...
These catalysts for enthusiasm may then become a means for creating and recreating our own enduring motivations, much like what I envision seeing in the face of a finder of a 'Summit Stone & An Adventure Muse'... And hoping that this may spark a few musings of their own as to what is inspiring for them...
Inspirations... A simple word, yet powerful meanings...
DSD



Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Page One Of The Adventure Muse.....




This is what is currently on Page One of "An Adventure Muse"...
"We all have our own mountains to climb and our own 'summits' to achieve. Our quest for these 'summits' is as important as attaining them... The arduousness of our quest is part of how we come to understand our motivation. Creating and recreating our own enthusiasm and motivation is the very essence of adventure experiences. There are many kinds of 'summits' and many 'adventure ways'. When we push our own limits at a level, and in an activity, that is right for each of us, with a focus on safety and especially fun; we journey along paths of freedom, happiness, beauty, and truth. The 'path' could be up a mountain, along a coastline, down a river or canyon, along a trail or ridgeline, under the earth, across a lake or ocean, through any wilderness... The 'means' could be by going solo or in a group, with boots, runners, rope, crampons, bike, ski, snowshoe, kayak, canoe, raft, or... Achievement is determined by our own efforts and not just results. How will you arrange the elements in your life? What will your next 'adventure summit' be?
A 'Summit Stone' for you... May the spirit and meaning you create for yourself on your adventures be forever present."
There have been many versions of these page one musings over the years... I have tried to describe there my intentions and reflections about the Summit Stones that are given with each 'Adventure Muse', and as a simple introduction to the many quotations contained within this little reading...
Like the image of 'Whymper Musing' above, we all could take a few moments here and there, while sitting quietly, to ponder over our endeavors... (I am trying to ensure to acknowledge where many of these images have been saved over the years, and sincerely apologize when I am not able to)
I often re-read these words, and am doing so now with this injury, to re-mind myself how within each word of each sentence are portrayed many levels of meaning...
These may speak to musings about why we started to adventure, and why we still go, especially in the midst of turmoil and doubt. There are indeed so many different kinds of 'summits' and these will assuredly lead us down countless paths... Such lands are often more discovered inwardly even as we travel out there...
It has always been good for me to return to such beginnings and first pages.....
DSD



Thursday, January 18, 2007

Yet Again.......




"Fall seven times; get up eight." Japanese Proverb
"The bamboo, which gives way, survives a storm, while the brittle oak may be uprooted...In the adversity of life's storms, we should bend, but we need not break." Deng Ming-Dao
"The ultimate 'trick' was simply this: to fail, learn, and start over; to fall, reflect, and rise again - to keep moving, to keep going on." R. Messner
Yet again have I injured myself... When in the midst of a powerful winter storm, I simply fell, and it feels like I have awakened an old river injury...
And there have been many as it seems that one of the prices of admission for being adventurous are lingering souvenirs such as this. I put my shoulder out in my teens while using a tree branch to clear a winter campsite, then my back when lifting a loaded kayak, and my achilles while training for a long trek foolishly on hard pavement... My knees now talk to me too with their funny little sounds after over twenty years of climbing and descending, as does my back and neck after so many years of carrying a heavy pack...
But I wouldn't trade these aches for anything, as I've earned them, as I did the lessons they taught me, during experiences that are priceless...
I don't know what that symbol is that represents both crisis and opportunity and do have difficulty seeing the upside of such an injury early on in the process. It is a challenge in itself to get past the frustrations. Sometimes I think these situations bruise the ego as much as they do the body...
It does seem to also remind me of why I have been drawn over the years to the many historical accounts like Shackleton, or more recently Simpson, who have experienced severe adversity during their adventures yet have endured so well... How I admire their spirit and the creative ways and means they adapt and carry on. They are so human in their mistakes, and in proving how we simple humans can find so much more within ourselves than we might have ever thought before...
So, once I've had my time getting myself upset, ruminating, and feeling sorry for lost time and missed outdoor opportunities - I think another kind of musing is in order. I think I will revisit these old friends, these many writers of adventure, and mine their experiences yet again for the gems of wisdom and fortitude they always have hidden within them...
Not quite what I had envisioned to start the year with, but I believe we all have a bit of Phoenix within each of us...
And when I am physically a bit more able, I will paint a few more Summit Stones, and ponder some other quotes, and look forward to placing these little gifts while planning to be out on another trail of my own...
DSD



Friday, January 05, 2007

New Year Map Musings.....




"Who has not spread out a map on the table and felt its promise of places to go and things to do and see... Maps embody a perspective of that which is known, and a perception of that which may be worth knowing." J. Wilford
This seems such a natural time for musings during these early dawning days of a new year... To me, maps are visual metaphors for new ideas... Maps are more than useful for finding one's direction or sorting out some kind of navigation. Yet they can also reflect a true genesis of creative ideation and imagination. This is pure fuel for our enthusiasm and motivation...
This timing and kind of effort inherently reflects new beginnings and the nature of our 'beginners mind', the ability to see things in new ways and with fresh eyes...
Such new year musings and map reading are all about fresh starts, about things worth wondering over, adventures to ponder about. There is so much fun to be found in the planning of climbs and scrambles to unknown summits, deep canyons to explore, kayaking routes to enjoy, hiking and biking trails to set out upon...
I have always been so intrigued by maps... And believe, as R. Schultheis said, "There are many potential maps of course; physiological, psychological, biochemical, theological, and anthropological." There can be many dimensions to maps; more so than are just apparent on a flat piece of paper...
Especially the exploring, of new places, of ourselves in those places, and of unique perceptions...
These are all means for adventuring...
I have so many maps... Those upon my wall, rolled in protective tubes, old worn folded maps, and those I enjoy discovering while paging through the endless excellent adventure guides to be found out there...
Further to our year end reflections and our new year hopes, map musings re-mind us of what memories we have created and what adventures we wish to have...
DSD