"A Gift Of Adversity....."

My own recent experience this early winter both at home and out in the wild places have been all about change, challenge, the unknown, and what I have perceived to very much be adversity...

It may seem very unusual to wish the same as a gift for another this sharing season but therein is the power of natural paradox... Typically in my own struggles, I stubbornly resist such uphill trials and have difficulty in reframing them as growth through challenge... Yet the natural world is truly a wild place of such challenges, of constant order yet chaos, of heightened perception about the clear unknown, of desires and elements that push and test an adventurer to and past preconceived limits...

We may not always think about it in these ways but what draws us, what we often seek out there for adventure and fun, is in many ways synonymous with that which adversity itself offers us in return...

When I recall the adversity gifts bestowed upon me for example, I remember... Fears of open ocean, wind and waves... Multi day distant treks and getting very lost... Continuously elusive mountain summits... Unexpected impacts of terrain and altitude... Fitness challenges of injury and age... 5.9 routes that always seemed just beyond my grasp... Caving and my surprising reactions within enclosed spaces... among so many others...

Yet as Goddard & Neumann write about the adventure of climbing: "Realize why you climb. Climbing is not rewarding in spite of its frustrations. It is rewarding because of the very factors that can make it frustrating." Such enduring words as this are gifts of wisdom and insight too...

A. Hobson also said: "Adventure by its very nature, involves overcoming uncertainty, fear, obstacles, adversity and the unknown." F. Youngblood mused too how, "To those who have struggled with them, the mountains reveal beauties they will not disclose to those who make no effort." While Grandfather, a Mountain Elder, said... "Yes it can be a trial. Fear, doubt, pain, discomfort - these can be part of the price to be paid. Yet the gifts you have bartered for with your blood and your breath - what wealth! They will resonate with your very soul."

Such an amazing gift is the adversity within adventure.....

The present is often in the unexpected, the surprising things we discover... most often about ourselves... The reward is in the act itself of being out there in the midst of both the sunsets and the storms... And then we know too with such real certainty of the unopened presents to bestow upon ourselves of other future possibilities still waiting to be found within our wild places...

P. Stoltz & E. Weihenmayer said of this gift: "May adversity become the pathway through which you flourish." S. Covey wrote also; "One key lesson is this: no challenge and adversity, no deeper sense of meaning and purpose."

Is this not a fundamental motive for why we cherish and wish to protect those wild places where we have devoted our precious energy, time, sweat, tears, hopes, and fears...

S. Covey himself acknowledges: "Adversity has inspired me to be an alchemist, to turn lead into gold." And that pot of gold waits for you out there at the end of a wonderful trail of tribulations...

Those who find themselves through adventure adversity are indeed gifted... with awareness and abilities and memories so vivid and valuable... The tears we may experience of frustration can be alchemized into the tears we know within joy... Because as E. Weihenmayer mused further; "Isn't there something incredibly riveting about the human struggle with adversity? Maybe it's because within the struggle lies the essential wisdom we all need to become the kind of person we hope to be".

So, wish upon those stars we may see within another sleepless night in the midst of trial by rock, water, wind and waves... And trek towards a hard to reach horizon of your dreams... Continue to seek out the possibility hidden in that alpenglow just before you begin your most difficult climb... Keep looking for that rainbow wrapped summit that you have trained yourself for over so many years... For within this season, all these things, and adversity too, do I hope and wish for you.....

DSD

"Spirit Stone....."

"Stones... chart the mysterious topography of the human spirit"... N. O'Connell

I simply love all things stone... Even a small rock, found by a stream, waterfall, ocean beach, or upon a mountain summit, can hold my attention for what seems moments of eternity... A rocky cliff... forever...

Depending on who is asked... 'Stone', may be referred to as one of the earth elements...

In the substance of stone can often be found characteristics we ourselves would aspire to... It is what it is, and does not try to be anything else... Stone is always centered, grounded if you will... Stone weathers the other elements and adversity so well...

The endless variety of rocks and cobbles reflect the countless personalities of the wild places they are found in... Their enduring nature is one of quiet strength...

How amazing are the forces that carve rock and shape stone in our natural world...

How wonderful it is that no two stones on a rocky beach of millions are ever exactly alike...

The above photographs were taken by 'Ataradrac' and posted upon Flickr. Ataradrac was so gracious to allow them to be placed along with this post...

Animated rock, spirit stone, like these have a unique history dating back to before known cultures... There are few of the worlds peoples who have not etched something of their history through stone as a medium...

Look deeply upon this spirit stone captured briefly in these photographs...

Gaze for a few moments on the beauty of the rock and the reflected spirits within...

Can you see what is also there... not apparent at first...

If you discovered these as Ataradrac did that day, might you too also muse over their charm and mystery...

DSD

Ataradrac's Flickr Link:

http://flickr.com/photos/ataradrac/5789112/

"When Our Paths Cross....."

There is one special trail in the Rockies where I wander upon about the same time each summer... There is a fellow hiker I have greeted out there at least a half dozen times... We call out as our paths cross, chat briefly, and smile as we part company with a 'see you next year'...

I find myself looking forward to that moment as I realize what day it is... A simple connectedness with shared meanings...

I was also able to enjoy some time this fall with a mentor and guide whom has shared much with me over the years, even when our moments together have been limited... A comment of his resonates with me: "People often come in and out of our lives and we rarely thank them for the part they played in our lives and we often do not realize the importance until time passes...".

Two other comments of his that are very positive musings for me have been in reference to 'being the change we wish for in our lives' and 'giving back in its many forms'...

It is a wonder to me how we may influence and touch each other's lives, even briefly at times...

These concepts seem very applicable to adventure experiences as we most often journey together with others through the wild places... Whether upon a rocky mountain path, a trail through secluded forests, upon a trek to distant summits, or along meandering coastlines and through deserted islands... there is always a moment that touches us to be shared out there...

Wild lands and adventures can create beautiful opportunities for a nexus, a connection, even a bond to occur... often in unexpected ways... I muse for example too how this happens after placing a small stone atop a mountain summit, to then be found there on a distant day... The stories of 'Finders' linked here cast morning light upon this perspective...

Then too, when sea kayaking a special group of our western coastal islands, I have shared such moments with a fellow party of adventurers... They are always together, while on those trips I have been solo... They allow me to become part of their fun and spirit for a few hours of shared laughter and lunch... When we head out on different bearings it is with a wave and much smiling... More simple connectedness out there when paths cross...

What might seem a simple moment out in the wild places actually resonates with us for years after...

Till we meet again out on the path.....

DSD

"The Nature Of Naive Art..."

After gathering, preparing, and designing upon stony dimensions for so long... then painting, coating, and eventually anonymously placing the Summit Stones for many years now, I find myself pondering again about the innocent nature of naive art...

Not only do I see myself as an ordinary adventurer, I also perceive such artistic muses to be available to us all as many adventurers are artists and poets...

Naive artists are seen to be of simple origins... and that resonates well with me because as the National Museum of Naive Art presents: "The vast majority of so-called 'naive artists' are self-taught, and come from humble backgrounds. They often choose to remain anonymous... Their works are the products of instinct, spontaneity and experience, a reflection of very personal sensitivities... They claim no affiliation with any artistic theory or influence. Each one of these artists invents their own means of expression...". They say further: "Naive Art possesses a characteristic innocence and sincerity of vision. With its bright colors, flattened perspective and sometimes unskilled brushstrokes... but hidden behind this apparent candour lie elaborate technical and optical conventions, conscious stylisation and visual harmony... The simplification found in the genre.. is more often a means of pushing to the limits the boundaries of figuration and thus creating a more powerful, very direct visual and emotional impact...".

ArtHistoryGuide.Com describes Naive Art or 'Outsider Art' as: "Representing memories, dreams, fantasies and scenes from life with an emphasis on color and shapes. 'Naive' is often associated with Folk Art."

The Gallery of International Naive Art also shares some perspectives on these modest artistic efforts in seeing that: "Whatever our association with the term 'naive art', one is struck with the near universal appeal of this exhilarating art form. Perhaps the appeal stems from the celestial, joy-inspiring palette of colors chosen by naive artists to portray their subjects. Maybe it is the genre's simplicity... Or could it be the timeless nature of the subject matter, reminding us of opportunities missed, of wondrous roads less travelled... The naive artist - often self-taught - treats us to a uniquely literal, yet extremely personal and coherent vision of what the world was, is or should be...".

A well known Brazilian naive artist, J. Ardies, sees the naive artist themself as believing: "That the magic of Art may help man to turn to the simpler things of life...".

Painting upon these small rocks is only an attempt to express ideas about the elements of nature, of adventure, and of meaning, inspiration & motivation... This painted stone endeavor is only a simple effort too that hopefully may invite ripples of reflection on giving back within our adventures... and upon passing forward about wild places.....

DSD

"A Face In The Stone....."

R & C on my Profile wrote: "On my stone I think we have found something else. It looks where there might be a face in these snowy lines of the mountain. I'm sure of it. Is this supposed to be you DSD?"...

There have been past comments as well about things perceived to be hidden upon or secreted meanings within these painted metaphors of rock... In my study of this 'Naive' art style I recall reading too how the word 'art' itself, as in 'handicraft', also at one time meant 'mystery' in this elemental trade...

'Should I let it be a mystery', I mused again after R & C left their comment...

We marvel often at the remarkable things we find and do out in wild places... We may often ponder their meanings and origins... So yes, their are many faces... and other mysteries represented in these Summit Stones...

When crafting, I often think of 'Grandfather', a Mountain Elder, who wrote: "You will feel me beside you; see my face in the stone; hear me on the wind", as I paint lines over colors over palette and attempt to even get a smile at times within these images...

These faces most often are looking up with wonder upon a shining sun, countless stars, a clear full moon, the fire of sky within alpenglow, or the rainbows that always follow each of us around out in the wild places...

I have enjoyed M. Mardon so much when he too wrote about such hidden images by S. Lyman:

"Yet another burned area presents itself further along the trail with many a scorched tree still standing, very likely to live on through many more thunderstorms. But one dead tree... seems to have stood in the ground through many revolutions of the earth... its bark peeling away exposing its wood to the elements. While the sides of the dead fir are charred, its upper surface is smooth, bleached to a uniform grey, and as inviting to an artist as a chalkboard. He takes a piece of charcoal in hand and sketches a woman's face, not in bold outline but subtly, with shadings and blurred features so that an unsuspecting hiker coming upon it later might wonder if Mother Nature hadn't drawn the image herself"...

Because I believe what surprises us... often also inspires us... we often find our expectations have been exceeded... And this is what wild lands and adventures out in them inherently do for us...

And at those times...

In that moment...

With such a smile...

The 'face in the stone'... Is you 'Finder'.....

DSD

"Alpenglow Possibility..."

When I muse over images of alpenglow I think of Tolkien who wrote: "Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight... It was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of memory, and old tales, of the high and distant mountains...".

I also ponder Muir's perspective when he said: "Sunbeams pouring through the passes between peaks... making their edges burn...".

This photographer- Dru, who took these images, while enjoying an adventure out in the wild places, seems to know well the art of intuitively taking pictures... It is not the easiest thing to do out there... To make the time and expend the energy, in the midst of adventure activities, to take just the right shot which holds within it meanings not only for the photographer, but when shared... for all of us as well.

Dru is also one of the earliest Finders from the beginning years in the journey of these small stones... His many wild lands images on Flickr are amazing.

Alpenglow is about mystery... and magic... About moments to be cherished and remembered... About challenges, people, and times very special...

Alpenglow to me, is very much about contentment for what adventure day has just passed... and even more so about possibility for what adventures are just about to begin.....

DSD

Dru's Flickr Link: http://flickr.com/photos/druclimb/711999451/in/set-72157600073602468/

"What Are We Really Seeking Through The Adventure Of Climbing..."

Mountains and climbing may have been my first adventure passion... In a recent lively discussion with friends we asked each other the above question; all agreeing it is a fundamental reason for musing... Some friends viewed this question as rhetorical... possibly in the way that in the question itself we may see our answer... Or that the effect wanted comes just from asking...

Another companion seems to be fond of the 'Socratic' method for inquiry... as where this adventure question is responded to as if it already were an answer; then reframe the first question in a different way, possibly to get to a higher level of meaning...

All agreed that any such adventure musing is fun and of real value to understanding ourselves as climbers... This enlightens us... promotes awareness and inspiration... and these wonderments are especially worthwhile when the inevitable adversities, slumps, and setbacks occur in our chosen adventure activity like climbing...

When reading posts on 'The Adventurist', 'The Adventure Blog', 'The MountainWorld', and 'Best Hike', among others... I often find myself also pondering the unwritten musings between the lines; maybe even behind the stories of what, who, where, and when... I guess to try and better understand the 'why' of it all... The 'why we do what we do' out in the wild places... especially when hanging precariously upon a face of rock...

As for what we seek and why we climb as a particularly potent adventure, I have often deferred to a most favorite book by S. Gardiner entitled: "Why I Climb". I have read this through and marked the pages seven times over the years. Enclosed in this tome of insights & inspirations are varied climbing experiences, powerful metaphors of altitude and mountains, and meaningful quotes I have pondered time and again...

C. Houston, in his Foreword to Gardiner's book said: "In this confusing and frenetic world we need to pause now and then for a moment to ask why are we here, where are we going, and what are we achieving. Humans do the bravest, wisest, and most foolish things, often not knowing why". He says the intention of such writing and musing is to: "At least it may prompt some people to look again at what drives them, look beyond today and tomorrow, and perhaps find in mountains more than climbing".

Gardiner himself in the Introductory Chapter writes: "I tried to explain the emotions I had felt... I don't think I succeeded, but it did cause me to think more about what motivated me to climb." "Perhaps there isn't a good answer or perhaps there are many good answers".

Gardiner refers to the purpose for this amazing book in that: "To explore why people climb... both climber and non-climber, will expect to find an answer to this age-old question... the answer may be more of a puzzle... It is certain, however, that when man mixes with mountains interesting things happen and thoughts about nature, religion, and the human mind, body, and spirit abound".

Gardiners' writing strikes the muse for our 'why climb' discussions, for us ordinary adventurers, and through his book, and with our ponderings we discover motives behind the summits we have gained, and motivation, vision, and inspiration for climbs & adventures yet to come...

The longer we choose to adventure climb, the more significance this question seems to take on. It is not that a post such as this answers or even addresses such a question; maybe it is more that the question remains unanswerable... except by each of us, in our own way, developing our own meaning, over the years...

What do you seek out there in the high places.....

DSD

"Hubris... And Humility..."

"If hubris is the yin of climbing, humility is the yang..." J. Waterman

I mentioned hubris as an adventure concept in a recent post... I have also been musing over this quote since my last post on "Summit Stone Controversy"... as it raises my awareness about being prideful about my efforts... about respect for different viewpoints... and regarding humility reflecting the comments of 'Finders' and others made to that post...

Pride does have a certain power, but loses its potency when it becomes presumption, even arrogance... An adventurer full of hubris is less aware of the cliffs between us and the horizon...

and this can be a dangerous precipice to balance upon...

Many other ordinary adventurers I've met over the years have developed a kind of modest pride over their outdoor accomplishments, and then seem to carry themselves with a different quiet dignity... They not only are aware of the cliffs, but see way past them to the horizon... I admire that... Theirs is a heightened sense of self, but self in relation to a respect for the wild places, others they travel with, and especially the inherent risks out there...

As for my own experience with hubris... there have been those days out where part of me believed I have climbed, kayaked, or trekked in perfect style... Only to then realize that where ever I was, on whatever path, there was always someone ahead of me, and someone just behind... That perspective allowed me to touch humility...

I would ask though... Was it a vice to feel such confidence? Is there not an energy within such pride? Much here to muse over...

Over the years there have been many phases of each of these - hubris & humility... as goals were met, limits pushed, trials endured, and an awareness of the dual aspects these two states may have and how they impact our adventures and thus our lives...

What has also been surprisingly useful, is an awareness of caution, even of many fears and doubts that would balance out the giddy optimism and ego that adventures may give birth to...

I sense walking along this edge between optimism and reservedness keeps us safe while allowing for exceptional fun out in wild places...

I have also benefited from the sharing of adventure guides and mentors about these two perspectives... those who have themselves achieved that balance between real confidence in dangerous surroundings... who belay themselves across the high ridges, where we may surpass our limitations while still acknowledging our humanness in making mistakes and errors of judgement...

I recognize now too the importance of appreciation and gratitude in developing humility as the natural opposite of hubris... Especially in beginning again after severe adversity; then dreaming about all the further possibilities out there... in acknowledging those who have gone before in setting our routes; while acting upon the need to pass forward to those yet to follow...

B. Blanchard, a Canadian Mountaineer of exceptional talent, said himself: "Humility is the key to being a good alpinist...".

Even though adventures are all about pushing personal limits, where confidence plays a potent role, there also seems a place for another awareness...

I believe the crux between hubris & humility may be climbed past in developing an understanding that adventures in wild places are not just about 'me'... They are inherently about all of us... and the inevitable impacts we each may have in wild lands...

Yet again... it would seem that as in all things, especially adventures, and with these small stones... the real summit to be attained is a balance within the experiences, lessons, and memories gained... most significantly between hubris & humility.....

DSD

"Summit Stone Controversy......."

Adventurers... are most certainly individuals... Everything we do and think out there has a very relative nature to it... With this in mind, I have always been aware that each person will view the journey of these Summit Stones in their own way...

After a close friend pointed out discussions on the "West Coast Paddler" and the "Paddling.Net" forums, I wanted to acknowledge the controversial comments, the empassioned debate, and the insightful musings of their members...

If only one person has now said they would not appreciate finding something like a Summit Stone... then I am sure there are others who have also had the same thoughts. This is not something I would want to be disrespectful of.....

I was introduced, decades ago, to a 100 year old Mountaineer's tradition of Summit registers, where notes and mementos are left and taken away. Canadian Climbers also have a long history of giving others small tokens to remember their adventures in altitude by. Worldly hikers, have an even older history of building cairns, placing stone and wood guides, for others to find and enjoy. More recently, Geocaching, has become an internationally accepted outdoor sport that even Public Parks are allowing now. The Geocachers I know are some of the most environmentally aware people I've met. While the Summit Stones are not meant as geocaches in any way, these adventure sports give some context here for items respectfully placed and meant to be taken away...

Yet, even understanding such history and adventures in context... there may be some who view such activities as intrusive to their own wilderness travels... Summit Stones may be seen as an uninvited presence... And to these persons I do apologize.....

Yet I sincerely hope... that the medium or the method applied here... does not cloud the messages... Simple thoughts about... giving back in its many forms... passing forward in its endless possibilities... keeping on regardless of obstacles and adversities... about inspiration, mystery, motivation, and how these metaphors within our adventures make our daily lives more rich and vibrant...

This is also one of the reasons for placing a Summit Stone within an Adventure Muse... The Muse is about pondering our motivation for being out there... because in our motives we find meaning... and it is in our nature to protect what is meaningful to each of us...

I do believe though, there is a difference between the graffiti and garbage we have all seen out there that may permanently mar wild areas, and a small stone that is very thoughtfully placed, and meant to be carried away with the 'Finders' themselves... a simple re-minder of precious moments...

There are many who enjoy adventure activities who may be very aware of the vulnerability of our wild lands and seas... and just as many who may not be... The reality of it is that powerful forces exist which are real threats to the natural world... Sometimes, actions such as mine, or even efforts of whole nature based organizations, often do not seem to be enough.....

As I wrote in my post of "Just One Thing", these small pebbles are really only symbolic of what we each could possibly do in giving back to our wild lands - be it maintenance of a trail, cleaning up a beach or campsite, supporting wilderness and animal rights groups, spending time educating youth about nature, even prompting debates and sharing of our own perspectives on conservation awareness... among so many other useful efforts...

I realize we all have a personal level of appreciating nature... and respect each of us may be passionate about conservation and 'leaving no trace'... I hope I understand the difference between true wild country... and a parking lot at a trail head; a summit register; or even an established camp on part of a trail where human trace has long been present...

I appreciate such musings on these forum venues, as that discussion itself, and the many who then read and consider their own position, all has very positive value...

The natural world needs no enhancement... but is it a negative thing to attempt to invite enhancement in human perspectives about nature.....

Nature's beauty has its own perfection... human perspectives can always be developed further.....

I believe... giving back and passing forward is about more than being neutral... Wild places will not remain that way unless we take some kind of steps... even small ones. We cannot simply stand and observe and hope the innocence of nature will be left alone... That is not how the real world works.....

While it is not my intention to be intrusive ( and it may be amusingly ironic, considering my interest in Geology, that an 'intrusion' is a body of rock forced between strata) sometimes we may have to commit to an act... then hope for understanding... let go of the outcome... and simply ask for forgiveness if others see things differently...

As for the actual placement of these small Summit Stones, over ninety-nine percent of them have only been placed with a summit register, at an established trail head or campsite, or at times upon the windshield of another adventurers vehicle... These are places where traces of our passing are already clearly there.....

Maybe we are all hopeful of reaching that same protected horizon... but are just on different paths on how to get there...

People will indeed make what they will of these small rocks; and more significantly, individuals will create their own meaning for the experience... That is the way... and the nature of things.....

DSD

Link: "Just One Thing"

http://summitstonesadventuremusings.blogspot.com/2006/12/just-one-thing.html

"Eco Blogging Awareness..."

The 15th of October has been pronounced as 'Blog Action Day'...

This gives all Bloggers a common forum for raising awareness through an Eco-Blogging post...

I strongly support this as the most important, key theme, of these small Summit Stones is about 'giving back' and 'passing forward' as this relates to our natural world and wild places...

Historically... 'Eco'... has meant 'household', 'oeco', in Latin... and 'house' or 'home', 'oikos', in Greek...

Currently... 'Eco'... is defined more about living things and their relationship to the environment... I particularly relate to the perspective of our environment as a home for us all and especially in believing that this is a 'relationship' between each of us and our natural world...

For my post, I am reflecting today on one of my favorite quotes, by Stephen Lyman, where he wrote:

"To the Four Legged Ones, who know wilderness as home and teach us how to live there; To the Winged Ones who see the larger picture from above... To the Plant People, who live the bloom of life constantly; to miraculous Water, who keeps life flowing... To the Stone People, who ground life with ancient wisdom and mountains of beauty; to the Earth, who holds and nurtures us all."

I wanted to also Link here to my past post of "Just One Thing" http://summitstonesadventuremusings.blogspot.com/2006/12/just-one-thing.html

which speaks to this day and for ongoing efforts to sustain our relationship to our wild lands...

DSD

"Hidden Northern Canyons..."

Here again... I find myself musing this season... about how you just never know what you might find out there... if you don't go.....

Our wild lands are very mush still full of hidden secrets and undiscovered places; simply waiting for us to undertake the adventure...

A recent hiking & climbing trip to our backyard of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, proved this, once more, to me...

Having visited there, over so many years, it is easy to drift into some familiarity about this terrain. It is just as easy to stand on Banff Avenue, or near Lake Louise, even in Canmore, and look out at every summit in view, with a memory of when they were last climbed, or last hiked around, and maybe even get a bit complacent about it all...

It is just as easy to assume... that few wonders are left, little remains to be discovered, especially after summitting or completing routes numerable times...

Such assumptions, or complacency's, maybe even a bit of 'hubris'....... wear away at the enthusiasm and motivation to explore just a bit further... to travel a few more unknown trails...

The prompting of a friend was the genesis for taking a step beyond what I thought I knew...

One of these little known secrets, is that even deep within our craggy, northern, Rocky Mountains... are hidden canyons that you might think belong in the southern deserts, with their narrow passageways, high cliff walls, even ancient pictographs...

I have come to love canyons as much as mountains... They often hold very unique plant and wildlife... And they have brilliant stones found deep within them, that have been polished for millenia by the water rushing through with every spring runoff...

We hiked deep into three canyons this visit; ones that cut well into the mountain ranges; with just enough climbing and creek crossings to make it feel like southern canyoneering...

I remember... endless beds of rocks; of all shapes and sizes... cliffs so high so the top could not be seen... lush green plant life fed by cold streams... water cascading from ledge to ledge... and the eyes of an animal in the late day darkness as we slowly made out way back...

Once again... we wouldn't have known... if we hadn't gone.....

DSD

"A Trans-Arctic Canoe Expedition Adventure..."

One of my favorite organizations that really 'gives back' and sincerely 'passes forward', is the World Wildlife Fund... I posted earlier this year about their May 6th, forty years birthday celebration & the young adventurers of the Trans-Artic Canoe Expedition...

These keen adventurers included: Chris Sledzik, Chase Edgerton, Sam Harrison, Robert Woodhull, Jeremy Harrison, and Alex Harrison...

They all have a passion for adventure and dreamed of an extended wilderness canoe experience across the Canadian tundra... The tundra is a very magical place of solitude, mystery, and where the elements become very much part of our lives...

Their goals involved raising awareness about preserving wild lands, the importance of future conservation efforts, in "leaving a place in better condition than the way it was found", and to raise funds for the WWF as well...

Their journey took them from its beginnings on Great Slave Lake, through the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, and was completed at Chantrey Inlet much farther north... Over 1200 kilometers of challenge and adventure...

I followed along with their trip updates from June to early August of this year with real excitement...

As in Moore's image above of a 'Canoe Pointing The Way'... here we have boundless enthusiasm, and real energy & efforts to give back and pass forward in support of the WWF... and especially in the potency of their message...

I hope they enjoy their Summit Stones.....

DSD

"Where Will You End Up Little Stone....."

Often... When painting these small rocks... While listening to the birds or the wind in nearby trees, and sometimes to specifically selected music... I will choose my next stone... Admire it closely, and turn it over as I decide upon its best surface...

They are such an enduring, unique medium for my simple form of Naive art...

As I gaze over the three dimensional surface I can sense its character... The tiny ridges, crystals, and cracks, that form a small world of their own, with all the elements of wild lands themselves... I enjoy them much like the Ancients would a Scholar Rock...

I can, at times, lose myself, in running my fingers along and travelling over a stones' face...

Often... Can I recall too what adventure I was on when this particular rock was gathered up...

My friends chuckle about how my pack or kayak is usually very much heavier coming back than when going out...

Then, as I begin this special process... The same unanswerable question develops as a thought in my mind... "Where will you end up little stone...?" "You have come such a long way", I muse, and are now undergoing a transformation of sorts... Much as I have over these last decades of adventure in the wild places, in slowly gaining an awareness of the importance of giving back...

Although I know I have no control over who will find these, I do wonder about that moment in time, place, and activity... Will they see this as an intrusion in their adventure day... Or will they accept this small gift, and take it away, in the spirit in which it was gathered, painted, mused over, and later placed...

The locations these stones are returned to are usually not as wild as where they were originally found... The vast majority are placed where a human presence has already been long established...

While I understand people will make what they will of them... I hope... As I begin to slowly paint... That the 'Finders' just may reflect for a moment upon this little stones' journey... Why someone would do this... And just maybe they might consider for a moment... What they themselves may choose to give back & pass forward...

Then this little stones' journey really has no end...

DSD

"The Compass Rose..."

The Compass Rose... is often described as an ancient navigational symbol; a figure of direction; and a mandala for Adventurers...

It can be seen in so many forms, like on my Outward Bound pins which I am gazing upon at this moment... Countless references can be found in readings and stories that reflect on the historical values of its use; and in the meanings and analogies for compasses...

The Compass Roses' age old perspectives re-minds me to see adventure experiences through 'long term eyes'... Even as I have posted just before on the significance of experiencing our wild land activities in the moment...

There are powerful metaphors and depth of meaning in well applying concepts of navigation and direction within our outdoor lives, and not just in the most practical sense of finding our way...

This image of a Rose within the Compass holds mystery too in allowing us to set an unknown but intentional course over lands and waters previously only dreamed about...

We have owned many compasses over the years, and still have them all...

I enjoy discovering the Rose as the key placed upon antique maps, which displays the skill of the artist, and have often been put there for luck, especially when the world was uncharted as it is now...

I've often painted elements of the Compass Rose on these small Summit Stones under mountains and oceans, to capture a sense of their essence... If only a hidden one...

Some of the very first Summit Stones were only the painted face of a Compass. Now many have North, South, East, and West woven into the lines of paint on mountains...

I remember... Finding a Compass Rose carved into a large piece of driftwood just off Quadra Island...

I recall... a passage from a book in my youth, whose Author wrote...

"Under the rock was the rose of a compass that was not supposed to be there, carved as clearly into the stone as if etched that very day. If done by the hand of a mason or the elements I could not tell".

I love the sense of mystery that accompanies the Compass Rose...

I believe that while Maps carry promises... Compasses show us one way to fulfill these...

DSD

"The Last Time......."

"Be present at this moment in time, as it may be you last time..." Grandfather Mountain Elder

There is a very interesting, simple, and yet extremely powerful metaphorical exercise that I and many fellow adventurers I know have applied in our outdoor experiences...

It is all about being more aware... and then musing a bit deeper... into the smallest moments within a specific adventure...

Over the last thirty years I have had many wild lands experiences where I didn't recognize nor realize the significance of it being the 'last time' I would participate in that activity or enjoy a certain special place...

There is indeed a 'last time' for everything we do in our lives.......

We may be faintly aware of this; yet it is also natural for us to live our lives of adventure as if this wasn't so. But even so, during your next adventure day, allow your self to experience it as 'your last' climb, hike, canoe, kayak, or other cherished adventure activity...

Make a conscious decision to appreciate the whole of the experience as if you would not return...

Be decidedly mindful of the nature of being there, however your plans turn out, whatever the weather and circumstances might be...

Focus closely upon the sights, sounds, sensations, the feelings, the movement...

When I muse back over these memories and years out in our wild places, I can now more clearly see those days and experiences that turned out to be the last of their kind...

Part of me likely didn't want to see this, but another part of me would like to have recognized this to then make those moments even more memorable...

This might just be a perspective of age I guess, or maybe just a very valuable perception gained from certain lessons. Having tried this exercise as an adventure in itself with intensely satisfying results, believe me, your time will and efforts will be well worth it...

Time as a construct will fall away, you will know a whole new kind of exhilaration, become an integral part of the whole adventure experience, and ultimately value it in an unforgettable way...

When I've chosen to enhance an adventure by perceiving it as what might be a 'last time', there is an intensity of emotion that develops, a truer sense of what is taking place, more meaningful musings about what has been done in the past, and upon what we then may hope to do in the future...

There have been such beautiful moments where I then 'know' we are a part of those who have gone before out there and now share in their strength... and a real desire then to become a part of those who pass forward these same opportunities so others can enjoy their 'first time' out...

DSD

"Solo In The Broken Group Islands..."

I am just musing here at this moment, and gazing up, at the Broken Group chart mounted with another map up on my wall... and daydreaming about past times and future plans to again sea kayak solo out in the BGI...

This is another of those precious wild places I am grateful to have often visited and also thankful for those persons gone before us who made the time and spent the energy to advocate for and protect such vistas for future generations...

After many trips out in groups, and with my partner, over the last dozen years, I also wanted to experience another dimension of this cherished grid upon the map... but to journey on one's own is a very different way to experience a place... As Colin Fletcher wrote: "By wandering out alone into the wilderness... I can after a while begin to see and to hear and to think and in the end to feel with a new and exciting accuracy...".

Going solo meant more detailed planning & preparation, and carrying all that extra gear one needs when out alone. It meant too thorough rehearsal and practice of self rescue; of navigation skills also as the potential fog can be a fun yet exhilarating challenge...

I am especially cautious of the the fetch of wind and waves, and tend to stay closer to these small islands for solo safety as well as for their meandering aesthetic shorelines...

It is indeed a different kind of mindset to be out with only your Self as company; one I've enjoyed yet also found to be somewhat overwhelming at times...

It is the beaches and wild marine life within these island gems that seem to attract me most...

I remember... the Tiny Group; Dempster beaches; hidden beaches around Nettle & Clarke with their mix of sand and crushed shells...

I remember... the carved face on the old cedar jutting out from Island 21 just south of Willis; the old Totem at the Dodd campsite which holds special memory too...

I think I have placed Summit Stones on most every island, time and again, within the BGI... and when I return... days, weeks, or even months later... none of these remain. I am glad of this as that is my intent that they are 'found', then carried away... so that only the sand, rock, and driftwood remain...

There are certain islands... I am sure they are not visited very often at all... they have only the smallest point to step out upon; a very tiny sand or rocky area; where the timing for landing is only possible at the lowest spring tides... I remember these too... And have been tempted to spend days, rather than hours at these rather than the busier locations... The nature of seeking out solitude within solo experiences I sense...

As R. Schultheis wrote: "There is a potency in solitude that surpasseth understanding...".

There may only be a hundred tiny islands out in the Broken Group... but there are hundreds more hidden, secret places, and a thousand vivid adventure memories to be found out there...

DSD

"A One Year Waypoint......."

"The sun and moon... the animals, the waters and the wind... all help you mark your steps on the path". Grandfather, Mountain Elder

Twelve months... four seasons... three versions of this blog... have come and gone...

Blogging has become another adventure, a further journey of its own, in navigating new lands both real and digital... And as with anything else; this journal is an adventure because we make it so...

As Grandfather said, it is important to acknowledge where we are on our path; the distance travelled; the navigation of its unique terrain and challenges; and where we wish to go from this waypoint...

Some themes that have become more clear and even more important to me through this last year of placings and musings include:

.....That even after 30 years out there, I can still be a beginner and try new adventures; and that if I can, anyone can...

.....The real experience of knowing gratitude for these adventure opportunities...

.....That any efforts in giving back and the resulting impacts is never lost time nor energy...

.....What we care about in our wild places, we need to preserve and pass forward for others to enjoy... The power of these perspectives can be immense... (As when I think back upon the linked post and comments here of "Just One Thing")

When gazing upon this last years path, I am amazed as always, like when attaining an elusive summit and then looking back... to see how far we have come; and in realizing what ground has been covered in what seems so short a time...

In the midst today in a summer of climbing, hiking, canoeing, canyoneering, kayaking, mountain biking, and the passing of the seasons... I am enjoying simply finding my ordinary way on this journey of adventure, while continuously re-creating my own adventure motivation time and again...

A significant highpoint, both exhilarating and humbling, is the involvement of 'Finders' and their shared stories which they have chosen to post here... Their comments and smiles will out last any of my simple words...

Where are you today on your own path.......

DSD