Thursday, June 28, 2007

"Touching Rock.....Touches Us....."



"I am glad to touch the living rock again and dip my head into the high mountain sky." J. Muir
The experience of touching rock... touches us...
We develop a feel for the rough or polished granite... a sense of the loose or firm quartz... and can become a part of the desert rock or northern limestone that we embrace on any particular adventure day...
Think too... of how this simple example of Muir's musings have had such lasting effects, like the substance of stone itself... Countless adventurers have read Muir's writings and then have since experienced their own spirited relationship to rock and stone and mountains...
How I wish I could have shared a few seasons with him in the High Sierras...
Time to return to the mountains.....
DSD




Monday, June 25, 2007

Remembering Colin Fletcher.....








Colin Fletcher, the amazing, inspiring writer and adventure hiker recently passed at the age of 85... He was an immensely witty and truly talented Welshman... To quote from at least two of his works Colin would often: "Head outside and search for my wilderness muse..."
My first books of his were "The Complete Walker", and amazing adventure narratives of his trips such as, "The Thousand Mile Summer" and "The Man Who Walked Through Time"...
His rafting return to the Colorado river truly inspired me...
He was a very personal man who had such a passion for adventure, especially hiking, and also for sharing through the written word... Long distance solo treks were his main choice of activity, and Colin's skills in the art of telling stories about these were legendary... From his readings it is known that he also enjoyed collecting unique rocks; that contemplation and musing were very important to him, and that he quietly appreciated being quoted (as I have in the Adventure Muse and here on this Blog).
While he often described himself as 'crusty', he was a quiet and powerful advocate for giving back to and passing experience forward about our wild places, and the adventures they may hold for us... It seems so appropriate that his close friends are going to scatter his ashes among the coastal wild lands...
Colin did indeed 'walk through time', as his ponderings, his writings, are timeless and are a legacy that will certainly endure...
DSD


Thursday, June 21, 2007

"A Special Kind Of Light....."







The very next time you are out kayaking, canoeing, rafting... whatever, on the element of water... Take a moment to gaze closely at the water itself and through the waves around you...
Take in the vibrant greens and blues...
Focus very closely upon the light as it passes through and is reflected from this element...
I remember... sparkles of sunbeams on the water while paddling a northern lake... losing myself in the shine from a mountain river... drifting aimlessly across a brightly lit coastal inlet...
I remember... shimmers of light on a talking stream during a Yosemite hike... climbing among high mountain lakes throughout the Rockies... Mt Temple's reflection in a lake with the same name...
I remember... similar brilliance reflected in the sunglasses of my partner and friends while out on the waters... also when we rafted up in the Broken Group Islands... and later again in the southern Gulf Islands...
This kind of special light; along with that from the beginning and end of each adventure day; and that found within endless alpenglows... has become another favorite adventure experience...
This special kind of light could make you believe that its... almost as if jewels are suspended in the water... and also that if you only try... you could just reach out and grasp a handful of them...
Actually you can... The jewel is the moment you have in that special wild place... and what you may grasp is a memory as valuable as any rare gem.....
DSD
(Images from: Top - Gipstein; Middle - Monkman; Bottom - Gold)








Monday, June 18, 2007

"THE Adventure Blog..."








The 'Adventure Blog' was created by The Adventure Junkie, who is now from Texas, while previously from the upper Mississippi River area I believe. He is an avid adventure blogger who is giving back to us all by keeping us up to speed on:
"News, Commentary, And Insights On Adventures & Adventurers".
It is my emphasis on the 'THE' above as this Blog is indeed one of a kind!
The Adventure Junkie is another Master Blogger, and there are not many out there, with over a thousand posts to his credit since January 2006. And very enjoyable posts at that as not many days go by where I am not visiting to read and muse over something adventuresome.
His own recent accomplishments include climbing upon Kilimanjaro and an African Safari Trek, and then posting enjoyable stories and pictures from there.
The Blog itself covers adventures of mountaineering, climbing, paddling, dog sledding, high altitude, outdoor news, and adventure racing, among others.
Here we have a fellow multi sport adventurer who also believes in making meaningful contributions to our outdoor community. The 'Adventure Blog' clearly embraces the spirit of our efforts out in the wild lands and the fun of musing & sharing about them...
The Adventure Junkie's writing reminds me of a favorite quote:
"People who seek adventure are true poets of living." Anon
It is really good to have another fellow adventurer journeying along these trails with us.
Definitely visit and enjoy his energetic Blog...
DSD
(See Link to right of this page)





Tuesday, June 12, 2007

"Musing On Lessons....."




Lessons in musing... Musing on lessons...
Just recently we booked ourselves to try out and learn a further adventure activity skill; one that is new, challenging, and also one that I am not that comfortable with... but I do need to study and practice...
Lessons are things that are about both something to be taught; more essentially 'learned'...
I believe it is essential for lessons to serve not as a rebuke, but always rather to encourage... Especially when it comes to safety and enjoyment of activities in our wild lands...
Grey Wolf said: "Elusive lessons hold the most to be learned...".
Grandfather, a Mountain Elder, also wrote about the nature of such elusiveness: "You call these elusive mountains; but I think you are the elusive one. There is more within you than you know".
From the depths of my memory; this last adventure learning experience connects to so many other times and places, initial anxieties, uncertain excitement, and the desire to ever push oneself ever just a little bit more - and also to the power of what we may learn out in those wild places; especially about ourselves. Grey Wolf said about such learning too: "That is the true gift".
This is also a re-minding for us of the 'Beginners Mind', as in the Goya bottom image above which reflects an old wandering master, who himself says with his actions, "I am still learning"; and to try and see each adventure day, every adventure experience, with new eyes and an open mind...
Do we really continually learn throughout life..? Can you really teach an old dog anything..?
After thirty years of adventuring, it would seem so... And if I can, being an adventurer of middling skills, then anyone can...
Adventures are such a potent means for new levels of learning and lessons... This new skill will be quite useful; a confidence builder too... But maybe the very essential lesson here is that, yes, each of us can indeed try out something new and adventurous wherever we are at as for age, skills, or whatever.....
DSD



Thursday, June 07, 2007

"Grand Canyon & Black Canyon Finders..."











Just recently, after my "Canyon Spirit" post, and our adventures out with those spirited Australians and the engaging young couple from Nevada... comments were made here from two amazing 'Canyon Finders' themselves... who discovered a few Summit Stones & Adventure Muses while out on their own journeys...
Our Anonymous Grand Canyon commenter wrote:
"I just completed my second kayak trip down the Grand Canyon and was fortunate to come upon a stone you had left at Spencer Canyon (Mile 246). I first looked through the bag, then told one of the rafters in my group, one that enjoyed geo-caching, there was a small geo-cache, located about 150 feet away. When I came back she was reading the Adventure Muse and told me it appeared it was meant to be kept. Not wanting to disturb someone's 'monument' it took some convincing to get me to keep it. The clincher was the kayak paddle on the back of the book. I knew then it was left by a fellow yaker and, if I didn't take it, it would likely wind up in the hands of commercial rafting customer that may not appreciate the significance of the gift.
Yes, I did take it, not knowing exactly what I would, or should, do with it, but it has become to be my most cherished momento of my trip... I was a solo kayaker supporting a group of 7 rafters. It was a bit lonely and stressful at times (2 raft flips/swims) not having a fellow boater around, but the stone indicated to me the river gods were watching over me.
Thank you DSD... if it is meant to be passed on to another in a land of adventure, I will respect that and ensure it gets placed somewhere appropriate. But if not, I will keep it as a memory stone, a reminder of the great adventure and fortune I had in the Grand Canyon."
Here we have a thoughtful person of significant confidence and experience out giving solo support to a rafting group in the Grandest of Canyons... A safety kayaker assumes a mantle of serious responsibility, where a flip & swim can involve real challenges in responding, and heightens the exhilaration of such adventure. I myself cherish these comments from 'Finders' who themselves have so enjoyed their experience... I also like to believe there are rivers gods and elemental Grandfathers who reflect the spirit of these adventurers and the wild places they are journeying through... I hope this 'Finder' enjoys their memories and that simple touch stone for many years to come...
Our Anonymous speaker from Black Canyon said:
"Our memories of kayaking Black Canyon are more meaningful to us because of your gift of these Summit Stones and Muse. We found one up Boy Scout Canyon below the rope section and then much later in the Emerald River Cave, put up on a small ledge, we were lucky enough to discover another. Each is unique and a beautiful stone, with '06 and '07 on the back with DSD. This must be when they were painted or put in these spots. They are our little treasures and we will value them always. The Muse is full of great quotes. We were excited to locate your blog from details on the inside cover. We love these stories of other finders and are happy to be finders ourselves."
I believe 'treasure' is found to in the spirit and attitudes of adventure that such "Finders" have... The Summit Stone is simply a reflection of this... The wisdom in the Adventure Muse, while not my literary achievement, seems to mirror a person like you, and their musings over their experiences... This blog is written with all of you in mind...
What serendipity in having two kayakers, finding two Summit Stones, in two beautiful canyons...My enthusiasm in placing these, and your excitement in finding them, only adds to our shared gratefulness for such wild places and the special opportunities they provide us...
Now you are indeed both part of a "Finders" story here as well...
I am so glad all have kept a Summit Stone; some may even pass forward a quote from the Adventure Muse; all will give something back of their experience, in their own way, I am sure...
I am so very grateful for their comments here.....
DSD