Thursday, May 28, 2009

"Joining With My Nemesis....."


We all have one... a certain adventure goal, an elusive summit, a particular set of rapids, that so distant island... Maybe it seems a bit strong to refer to them as a Nemesis, as our own personal infernal goddess of retribution, that bane to our adventure aspirations, or even as an act in a play of some sort of outdoor tragedy - but they surely do feel that way at times...
My own personal downfall of motivation at times, an opponent of progress in years of scrambling seasons, had been our Mt. Smuts. A mountain of a seemingly unassuming name, but with a quietly intimidating reputation. It is spoken and written about as one of the most difficult scrambles around here, as a ridge route of distinct exposure, where many begin but few actually attain the true summit of. Friends who have tried also state it is 'Not' a scramble, not really a 'climbers scramble' either, not even made simpler or easier when a piece of rope is taken, but rather a route that dictates things to us and then demands as much from us...
Mt. Smuts has a longer approach giving you lots of time to contemplate its challenges, and is also a scramble requiring a certain skillset and a distinct commitment. I have engaged with this objective every second summer over a long course of years now. The first time out was in reasonable weather but became a test of my beliefs and confidence in the abilities one needs on such slabs of rock with a very real exposure endlessly pulling at us. Later this challenging, yet enticingly angled stone was less daunting but not very dry, and again the nature of Mt. Smuts and its history of keeping its summit secret remained. Another set of seasons passed and the elements still conspired to stall my intentions as did an injury which undermined my efforts too. A further two years would close until during what should have been a calm day, instead grew into high winds that on such a ridge would have been way to risky to push on through. Many times this beautiful peak with its taunts and teasings has eluded me...
Then came a reading of Andrew Nugara's account in 2004, when he and his brother Mark were turned away in July, only to return again that August, with focused energy and new found determination. His enthusiastic account and encouraging words prompted me to head out to Smuts once more at a later point as the gauntlet still remained thrown.
My return then became a very different experience though... While the summit itself was still not to be mine to enjoy that day, as the weather again was in no mood to cooperate, I wandered around and upon that mountain in a most interesting way... I felt I was beginning to understand Mt. Smuts even if I did not know its summit. The peak was yet to be known for those brief moments, but rather than opposing one another, maybe the mountain and I were now sharing in a company of a higher kind...
I began to wonder if this wild place of rock and stone and dreams, was not something more of an Elemental, something other than what first impressions were made of... Not a Nemesis as such, but something much, much more...
In more obscure historical literature any 'nemesis' are also written about as beings more like the Muses, who shroud themselves in hidden forms to see if we mortals deserve their time and wisdom and gifts... They make us endure trials, long journeys, odysseys of another kind, to test us, to see if we are more than just the shell we inhabit. These kind of Elementals are more truly there to teach each of us rather than just acting within the assumed role of a nemesis in supposedly being there to defeat us.
It has taken a number of long journeys, over even longer years, but it seems I have learned more now than just the lay of the land out there. These are the lessons from enjoying such an adventure experience regardless of the outcome, in gradually understanding more in that the nature of a mountain is not just the summit, and the value of embracing such challenges because that is why we are truly out there in the first place, is it not my friends...
I needed to shift one stormy and stony perspective after another in trying to see what this mentor was attempting to teach me... Mt. Smuts has become more of a wise old friend. I think we share in an alliance now, an association, a connection - where in testing each other we have become more united than opposing, more respectful of each other.
My brooding mentor and close elder friend has allowed me to take my due because of what I took part in upon its slopes. These are the earned lessons and so useful teachings that have now been applied on other adventures... In that so very dark and deep southern canyon, upon a northern lake that is hardly ever accessed because of its incessant wind and waves, over a waypoint on a coastal trek very few wander through, and on another summit in the Yosemite highlands which only some have actually shared in...
I think Mt. Smuts is a place of spirits too that I am more aware of now also... Other spirits reflecting a certain kind of effort, spirits of lost ground but gained experience, of better understanding oneself, and other spirits there also I am sure I have sensed...
Over a decade will have passed when I likely will decide to plan and prepare a journey back, for furthering my continuing education with Mt. Smuts. I will review others and Andrew's account again of their experiences for sparks of enthusiasm. Then a return to that class will occur, for a further course, hopefully for other lessons and affirmations of patience, persistence, and passion... For a joining with, a blending with, rather than just a struggling against, me dear wild place nemesis.....
DSD


My real thanks to Andrew for both the inspirations and the above images:

Monday, May 25, 2009

"A Mountain Meditation..."



"It is only in the intentional silence of vigil and meditation, or in the quiet places of nature, that we encounter the song of the universe. Like the wind... this song echoes along the pathways of the cosmic web; it includes the celestial spinning of the planets, as well as the hum of insects and the dancing song of the grass; it includes the song of all the ancestors and spirits as well as the beating of our own hearts...". C. Mathews
Here upon the quiet side of this long ridge, I sit enjoying long moments of solitude as hardly anyone ever comes this far... My intention this day is for simple high lands meditations; like those I also practice near places of water & waves, wind & trees. The music of meanings we may experience in such places is of our own making; we are soloists in those meditative moments, and yet we may connect also with a symphony of breathing with the elements in a synchronicity that many of us have shared in out there...
As I write this after a sitting mountain meditation, I find myself looking across at a summit climbed over twenty years ago; gazing back upon memories of younger years and earlier adventure experiences, so profound and defining of life...
In the wilds we are offered a unique clime in which a focus on breathing, heart beat, and other mantra's calms and gives us focus during times of risk and adversity. I do so now also with a visual attention to the clouds, and the rock, the past route to that summit, all while listening to the wind...
We may lose ourselves in these kind of quiet meditations as we may have done in the actual past wanderings themselves...
I have accomplished no summit this day, but gain and affirm certain perspectives that I live by still that evolve from simple vigil and a quiet sitting mountain meditation.....
DSD


My appreciation & gratitude to Dow Williams for the above inspiring images:
http://www.summitpost.org/user_page.php?user_id=19503
http://dowclimbing.com/

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

"Our Modern Hiker..."



Casey Schreiner's great blog is entitled 'Modern Hiker' and has very much lived up to this moniker since 2006. Many of our peers like 'Best Hike', list Modern Hiker as one of the Top 10 Hiking Blogs, and the best source of information for Southern California hiking, with many of the most detailed trip reports available anywhere online. There are great elusive wild places still to be discovered in Southern California, like the San Gabriels', Santa Monicas', and Joshua Tree. Casey gives to us in depth reviews of such areas, graphic photos & videos, GPS tracks, as well as Google Earth instructions. He has detailed discussions on the latest outdoor equipment too.
Modern Hiker also provides great trail map overviews with all the hikes listed by difficulty.
Casey moved to California from New England in 2003 and has been writing about journeys out there since 2005. He has logged many personal miles and is hiking his way near to that elusive 1000 mile waypoint. We have always been drawn to the enthusiastic tone of his blog site. Readers like the regular energetic and informative posts. I particularly enjoy the 'Motivation Section' which touches upon why we do what we do out there...
So head on over, visit, and share some time and a coffee with our Casey at Modern Hiker.
DSD


Monday, May 11, 2009

"Points Of The Compass....."


Standing on that high summit I focused on my position, ensured I knew and sensed where the edges where, and then gazed out... one at a time... upon the four points of the compass...
In the North I could just make out, encased in clouds, a mountain climbed decades ago with a friend no longer present... It was a summit of the past but one that has never let go of us, such a challenge it was...
I turn and in the West I could not make out a coastline yet could envision it in my mind, and feel the motions of my kayak, the sensations of the paddle, and the gentle rolling of the waves...
I turn again, and to the South flows one of the rivers I admire out here... They are the veins and life blood of the land... Inviting in their energy; demanding respect for their power, allowing us to touch them by kayak, canoe, or raft...
I pause for a moment to muse how we all have such points of the compass in our own adventures and life... They point out from us yet reflect the desires, inspirations, and memories within us...
Then I turn once again, and in the East, I spend more time gazing, upon looking, within wondering... as I could just make out the course of a future trail yet to be taken. It will be a long journey of another kind... Along that point of the compass.....
DSD




Monday, May 04, 2009

"Outward Bound Canada...40 Years Of Inspiration..."



What an exciting point on the trail this is! Outward Bound Canada is celebrating a so well deserved 40th anniversary. This May is a time for affirming their history, for moments to put our packs or paddles, maps and compasses, down for a moment to rest and reflect on their wondrous story...
40 Years of service, of striving, of not yielding...
40 years of seasons out there developing so many young minds, and moving as many older hearts too...
40 years of facilitating the discovery of there being more within all of us than we ever first knew...
40 years of holding so true to a Mission of "Igniting the human spirit, Inviting self-discovery, and Inspiring human potential", all through wild place journeys. Don't you just love a 'Mission' that hikes and treks, paddles and climbs, and makes itself become real in such ways...
There is so much that I, family and friends, hold so dear about our Outward Bound experiences.
(You only need to use the search section at the top left of this blog, for my postings here on many reflections of these so special moments) There has not been a season passing these many years, where we have not remembered, laughed, pondered, and mused about the many directions our OB experiences set us upon over the course of each of our lives...
This is a celebration too about renewal... Renewing our memories, renewing our energy and outdoor interests, just as Outward Bound Canada is renewing their commitments as they set out on a course for another forty years of wild place adventures and cherished connections to be discovered by each wanderer out there...
A very happy 40th anniversary to our Outward Bound Canada!
DSD