"In The Wild Places..."

In the wild places... We discover land & seascape as muse and are gifted with many intense experiences worth pondering over.

In the wild places we learn of nature and of ourselves as well. Elemental metaphors are both surreal and very real out there.

In these wild places we find that sense of freedom each being needs in their lives. In these special places the goal is to adventure and see new things, and also to see in new ways...

We begin to realise what wild really is, the strength within nature, and to know its' vulnerabilities too.

In the wild places we find inspiration, we re-create motivation, we more understand our motives - our why's for going and doing what we do out there...

We embrace the seasons of the wild places, the seasons for our lives, and the real reasons why such outback resonates within us.

We cannot be, what we cannot see; so we open ourselves up in the wild places. We share experiences so meaningful with family, partners, friends, and animals.

In the wild places we begin to know what we always knew. Many times out there our bodies are tested as they should be. Yet in the wild places we feel and sense more than body though; we also find real spirit...

In these wild places we uncover true humility and that which we all are part of. We exert efforts to preserve that which was passed forward to us knowing intuitively its importance...

In the wild places we learn priceless lessons, depths of insights. We want to attain goals, to be, to feel. We play, have such fun, returning to our child like lives.

In the wild places we experience the power of choices. We so push ourselves, and each other, while moving beyond self-induced barriers and past adversity.

In the wild places we enjoy endless sunsets, alpenglow, the wind, waves, and such vistas too many to count. We discover surprises, newness, realities before unknown. We see many levels of nature, true beauty, of the place and as a human in that place.

In the wild places we become more of the person we want to be; we go back to our natural selves, and return refreshed.

Ultimately... In the wild places, we find what we never lost, and are so grateful for these gifts.....

DSD

My appreciation to G. Wiltsie for the above images.

"Dedications....."

The terrain of dedication is a diverse one. Like that which reflects our intentions for climbing a mountain itself, the meaning of our dedications, and what we wish to honour with our adventure efforts, is a very individual and personal thing. For myself, the study of what elements make up our resoluteness; in pondering the willingness we each choose in 'giving up to get' within our adventure goals, and in musing over why and how we devote ourselves so - remains a life long quest.

I thought of dedication again when returning with a close companion to a mountain where a fall took place, and how dedicated my friend is in keeping on in the face of such severe adversity.

I reflect on dedication as well when I read over the many wonderful links I have here to the scribings our fellow adventurers like Kraig, Stewart, Casey, Carol, and others make in their continued loyal commitment to the quality, frequency, and depth of their adventurous blog posts.

I think too of Rick McCharles at Best Hikes, in his year over year journeys to seek out and actually experience many of the best hikes of the world, his posts and pictures about them, and the amazing sharing in placings he has made of Summit Stones.

Then there are all of you too, fellow 'Partners In Placing', who share in beliefs about the importance of giving back and passing forward. What selfless dignity you have sharing in the smiles and karma along the way.

So, here's to you my Friends, as we dedicate ourselves once again - in sharing at this time of year; towards planning next seasons adventures; and especially within how we consider we might 'Adventure For Another Reason'...

Such inscriptions of our dedications are then indeed written in stone, within the forms of our vision, our desires, and our adventure dreams about the wild places...

I wish for each of you many very happy seasons of summits & trails, sunrises & sunsets.....

DSD

"A Story With No End....."

That is what our adventures are... A story with no end...

A story of promise, of possibility, desire, and high expectations. The wild places inspire these stories and we become trusting of such experiences from out there.

We remember the uplifting moments, the fulfillment's, and the transcendence's of the mountains...

We remember the knowings, the innocence, and the expressions of the desert...

We remember the potentials, the futures, and the feelings that the rivers share...

We remember too the oceans and lakes with their newness, the breakthroughs, and their messages of hope...

Wild places for many often especially create experiences of freedom, sometimes for redemption, even emancipation's and forgiveness...

They are a story too so phoenix like in spirit, with endless new beginnings and meanings, grand memories and sensing of something 'more than' to be found...

So many musings to be discovered, so much to be enjoyed, all inviting us to go onward, to go forward, to go beyond. A spirited story with no end, as there doesn't need to be, because the wonders are also in the journey and the telling of the story itself too.....

DSD

My appreciation to J. Miglavs for the top image above and to G. Epperson for the lower image.

"Further Mystery & Magic Of Mixing In..."

The higher and farther we go, the further we seek it seems, within our wanderings and the fun of our adventures. As have I too these last long seasons, and especially within the mystery & magic of 'mixing in'... I've written briefly about this before as it has become a wonderful part of the gathering, then particularly the painting, and finally in the sharing of these little gifts I call Summit Stones.

Many elements have called to me within these last long seasons, among so many wild places, wandering solo and with others out there. I have journeyed so much further and higher along these adventurous paths than ever before in search of certain kinds of selected stones and elements to 'mix in' with them.

There were deep canyons where I collected the seeping moisture of desert tears and sand crystals never likely touched before.

Out among a few secluded valleys too where at the ends of these, I discovered very old rock fire rings, and the remnants of weathered charcoal under those stones there.

I sought these elements upon one of the most elusive summits I've yet shared in, where that unique powder of rocks can be found hiding among the crevices up there.

I gathered other elements as well near such distant coastal islands, whose grains of sand and shells are so rare, and whose ash from fires there is so welcoming and warm.

There was also the elemental waters from snow fields, some glaciers too, from last years sun and wind dried alpine flowers, and the aged old pine needles and leaves found near our northern lakes.

Then when ridge walking, as I so love to do, I found that distinct high point of stone, with markings upon it that could only be from multiple lightning strikes, and the scrapings of this I was able to gather up as well...

Now, here, I sit quietly, with the window open slightly, listening to the soft music of snow gently falling. In front of me are quite a number of small Nalgene containers. Each has one of these gathered up elements within it. I know every one well, for the precious gifts they are, from such far away wondrous wild places. I will spend endless hours this winter, learning and practicing how to mix these in with the paints utilized on these Summit Stones - the techniques, the swirling in, the composition, and how this then will dry, all intrigues me greatly. Some selected stones absorb them well, while others need to be coaxed along.

Particles of each element, maybe the tiniest drop of moisture too, may be ground up or simply will be mixed in with the images of mountains, the alpenglow and fires, the flowers and trees, and the sun, moon, and waters that become part of the face of these painted cobblestones.

I so hope this then all blends together to further reflect the mystery we all sense from out there, those energies which resonate and emanate for each of us, and that which supports our intentions and feelings within our adventures. All of which may 'mix in' to call us further, farther, onward, upward, and inward...

Many seasons of gathering, so many hours of mixing in and painting, then sharing with my Friends & Partners In Placing, all blending now together during this wonderful sharing season as gifts for you Dear Finders.

Enjoy the wonder, mystery, and magic of it all.....

DSD

Mixing In Link: http://summitstonesadventuremusings.blogspot.com/2010/01/mixing-in.html

Partners In Placing Link: http://summitstonesadventuremusings.blogspot.com/2009/10/partners-in-placing-summit-stones.html

"When I Reach Into My Pack..."

There is a very kinaesthetic and emotional experience in the touching of these small items, that I know will always reside in my pack. They hold enduring memories for me that have never lost their intensity, even though so many, many, seasons have passed...

When I reach into my pack, another old worn one in a series of such gear, especially during this later time of the year, my hand naturally goes for the small zippered pocket at the top. When I reach into my pack there, whether in bright daylight or darkness, I know exactly what I will find...

Three small, yet so significant things, tucked away in that little ditty bag, carried for so long. Always there with their presence. Three small items... One, a very small stone from a very first summit. The second, a tiny compass collected when I was so much younger. The third, a little metal tube with some ashes never forgotten. Three small items... Always carried with me out there, and forever in memory too.....

DSD

"All Along The Way He Told His Stories..."

There are those of us who listen more and others who want to share much too. Most tend to enjoy both of the give and take of conversation and also the quieter connections when out there... He was one of our elder adventurers; one of the venerable ones who through time and deed and leadership, others would follow and listen closely too, often just for the many lively stories...

It was not so much an account of his own life, as it was about the shared tales of amazing experiences in the wilds. Grand narrations of high places and fast waters, with anecdotes of legend, which many of the young ones listened closely & intently to and were then embraced by these. Each new day would bring forth a new fable, and each turn of the trail a different tale. When the weather changed or the sun set, the tone and content of his stories would evolve also, into something when more than words were being spoken... The fire would be lit and the images would then begin to dance before our very eyes...

To blend such fun activities of adventure, with the sharing of so meaningful tellings, was unique and powerful. The subtle thing of this experience for many of us, was that a significant part of our own adventure journey had now become the stories being told along the trail.

These many years later I can still sense how, while the adventure experiences were great and memorable, what I now remember most are the shared stories he gave us - they have become unforgettable...

He is no longer adventuring, yet I am sure his spirit wanders still. Now during those times out when we are telling our own tales, we ensure to share his many wonderful stories too, all along the way.....

DSD

My appreciation to G. Wiltsie for the above images.

"Health Issues, Injuries, Recovery, et al..."

I've received quite a few email in response to a recent post last November 15th. I am very appreciative of these. This has now also sparked some reflections over the many other such comments and questions that have been sent to me over the last years. So I thought to share some connections here today about past posts and other links regarding such health issues, injuries, adversity, and recovery we adventurers are often also challenged with.

This blog has a number of evolving key themes - those of giving back & passing forward; for inspiration & hopefulness however we each define and create this out there; about personal motivation; within understanding and overcoming adversities such as challenges in our health & injuries; regarding setbacks we all experience; and among those wonderful internal ways of pondering & musing that support getting back on the path and the trail...

It seems that, like experiencing the storms out there, it is not a matter of if, but rather of 'when' we will all take a turn in navigating through such issues. That is why I continually try to update and include the most inspiring and the best kind of sites under the 'Give Back & Pass Forward' links to the right here. These organizations and their enduring efforts & stories are amazing in what they support and accomplish in 'Adventuring For Another Reason', and in response to adversity...

If any of these areas are of interest for you, (as I get many email, comments, and questions about them) please first have a look at these sites. Then maybe try the 'Blogger Search Engine' too and the top of this blog. You can search back over all the years and seasons of my posts for something that may reflect your own key words of inquiry. If you don't find anything there either, then place a comment at the bottom of this post with your email (which I will not publish) and I will respond as best as I can.

If you are struggling today with an injury, a setback, or a longer term health issue, that complicates your dreams of adventure, please know that there are many of us within the links here that have walked similar coals...

I have shared in such struggles within my own life long health issues as well, from many injuries, to chronic challenges like Vertigo & Inner Ear Imbalances, to severe RLS, among others, and the seemingly endless physical, mental, and emotional challenges that accompany things like these... The many links here have been of great support for me in the midst of my own storms. While the issues vary, the connections and enduring spirit that each of these sites share with us are potent sources for inspiration and in ways & means of keeping going - in our own chosen directions of what we do out in the wilds, and for why we so want to return to our adventures again and again...

Any time, in any such moments, we can connect and share along the trail in this way, about such trials, then creates powerful and meaningful opportunities of spirit that carries us forward, onward, upward, and beyond.....

DSD

"When You Tune Into That..."

When you tune into 'that'... You'll hardly feel 'these'...

However 'that' resonates with you: The why you are going; the meanings within the adventure purposes for why you do what you do out there. Therein are the treasures behind the veil, and at the end of the rainbow, for all your enduring wild place wanderings...

Then 'these' will become so much more insignificant; the distractions and diversions, the inherent fatigue, the necessities of effort and discipline, any elusive objectives not met, and the adventure goals that always need refining.

Because tuning into 'that' which echoes deep inside, is a path towards becoming your enduring bliss...

Whatever those hurdles then may be on your path, will now transform into incidentals, rather than obstacles along any trail you've chosen. Those things will actually now be reformed and reshaped into more lasting enjoyments, as they are overcome on your journey towards the why and what you are truly out there for...

And when we tune into 'that' elemental essence for our adventures, then any other of 'these' kind of storms will all simply pass by.....

DSD

My appreciation for the top image above to J. Foott, and to P. Nicklen for the lower image.

Like An Avalanche....."

Like an avalanche it hit me, as hard and as unexpectedly, just as you might think it would...

We were on our way up to climb upon a mountain we know well. A familiar route, but one in the later season where attention was needed, and a heightened awareness for the objective hazards of unstable snow, inconsistent temperatures, and rockfall.

It was a simple comment, maybe said to me as both a concern and a question, but... well, like an avalanche, it took me...

Sharing time with a close friend, on a trail, and in a day up there, means so much for us wanderers. Such connections are invaluable, precious beyond description for the gifts they are. This closeness means we learn much about each other and find great depths within what we can then share...

No answer seemed required from that comment that was made to me, but I'm sure from the look on my face, it had clearly hit home. All that was needed then was in the question itself, it felt, as therein was the crux of the struggle I was having. Such moments are profound in how they connect all the pieces and the elements we seem to need, through whatever synchronicity or serendipity has just taken place... The natural world often provides such a means for these wild catalysts, for the closeness we develop and cherish, and then the meaningful commentary we are then able to compose for each other.

It has indeed been a difficult year for me, especially reflecting my health issues, and those of a family member too...

It appears to me at times, that what I muse and write about here, I need to often ponder and affirm in my own life again and again. Which is just what that question asked of me that day, put to words in that way by a trusted companion. Then like the subjective avalanche it was, it hit hard...

Now like other such events, it had passed. It was then time to talk and listen and ponder. Throughout a wonderful day up high, on a mountain with a friend, a companion, and a close climbing partner. Sharing such moments of strength and support, and not just from a rope, but from this kind of connection as well, are ways we may each navigate both the objective and subjective hazards we all wander through.

Isn't that so true my Friends.....

DSD

"A Different Kind Of Core Strength..."

The older I get, the more important the physical training becomes. For preparation, injury prevention, maintaining hard earned endurance, flexibility as well, and the simple enjoyment of what we learn our body can do at the edges of seeming limits. The fitness concept of core strength is a very useful idea. One that is essential to every adventure activity it seems - be it climbing, paddling, biking, and especially when lifting and carrying a backpack. The analogy, metaphor even, of the core for our strength I feel is very important, yet one not limited just to our physical selves.

There is more to our nature, is there not, than the physicality of muscles. Are we not more than just what we genetically have been given for a body. Are we not also gifted with so much more then that...

Do we not sense this when we are really tested out there...

Maybe, at the very core of it, we are creatures too of vision and desire, drive and determination. We are also beings of purpose and passion, of values and character. We have such powerfully potent core elements within us of personal motivation too...

All of these can be said to be distinct internal strengths from deep within our core, our very center. We each most certainly have such fundamental components within the synergy of our individual selves.

As adventurers, these elemental energies are indeed a different kind of core strength. Ones so excitingly worth pondering and then exercising as well in their many unique ways...

Time for some training.....

DSD

My thanks to D. D'Angelo for the above images.

"The Path....."

The path... Our path... Your path...

Seemingly of only rocks and stone, of ice and snow.

Countless places, where to start.

So many steps that may be taken...

This path...

That twists and turns, through canyons and valleys,

Meandering across coastlines and islands,

Above and below tree lines,

Traversing ridges and mountains...

Such paths...

Are guarded by weather and wild furred ones,

Watched over by aged ancient trees and bright flowers,

Shaded too by cliffs and so high rock towers...

These joined paths...

Always serenaded by winds and waves,

Beautiful songs we hear,

Such echoes they make...

The path... Your path... Our path...

Setting moons upon rising suns,

Towards horizons everlasting,

Our shared trails towards ourselves...

DSD

"Moon Shadows....."

It would seem to many who wander that the night is only dark to those who don't adventure out in those shadowed hours...

Most of us know that amidst such perceived darkness is light of another kind; that which often surprises us with its presence, and its radiance. These are the reflections from our closest celestial body - our moon...

Many have continued to move along trails or over waters only under the glow of this being. Navigation under it, and by it, can be such a mysteriously powerful experience. Outside our tents on a night of the fullest moon, you can actually read or journal in the typically darkest hours. For many it is not just this light but also those shadows created and cast by it too that so hold our attention at times.

Legends say that the spirits out there come more to life, in this play of light and moving shadows, especially past midnight. Many tales have been written too, which describe the powers given over to those who are brave enough to stand out under the shining of a full moon, and who embrace the shades found within the shadows of such moonlight.

There is a so telling softness as well to such shadows and celestial light, often experienced when paddling across the moving waters, or when just beginning a journey upon the face of a mountain, and while starting out to hike slowly among the forested valleys...

Shall we now go and wander again, my Halloween Friends, out among the company of those wonderfully mysterious moon shadows...

DSD

"Coming Back Changed....."

"I have never met anyone who has stood, however precariously, on the flanks of a great mountain, or who has been, however briefly, to the dark world at the edge of the abyss, and not come back changed." M. Bane

It is a dynamic and personal relationship, we each have with our wild places.

What we do, who we are, our very elemental essence is revealed...

This reflects upon not just what is out there, but what we each hold so closely to in here.

Deep in our hearts,

Within our dreams,

Among our visions,

For why we do what we do, out among the wild places...

DSD

My appreciation to M. Brown for the top image above, and to D. D'Angelo for the lower image.

"After The Fall....."

Quite some time has passed now since that very trying event, during a challenging season of climbing at the very edge of our abilities. The fall surprisingly came later on, after we were both felling practiced and confident. Yet it was what unfolded after those moments that was to amaze both of us so much...

Any climber who falls in this way knows how terrifying it is, whatever the distance or exposure happens to be. Sometimes our gear reflects the forces that have come to the fore in those moments, like the helmet we saved, battered as it was after doing its job so well. This helmet was now a symbol too of those other forces, those other elements we each can bring forth after such adversity. Forces that become apparent when you look past the event, beyond the injuries, and then gaze more closely at the recovery and the regaining of healthy ground for the shaken self... Distinctly powerful proof yet again of the Outward Bound wisdom of there being so much more within us than we may ever first realize...

Those healing challenges can be so many - of muscle, bone, memory, confidence, and in other internal elements and paths that may need to be set out upon. There will surely be further awakenings too, of the ways and means of newer needed inspirations and why we would want to return and keep going in our chosen directions out there...

When I looked up at the back of the person before me, as they lead their way up that trail, to our next climbing adventure so many seasons later - I thought of the anxieties and fears from back then, no longer present. Of how the real person inside has emerged, then grown past those trials, and now has become so much more... Such is the essence of an adventurous spirit, once fallen, now back up here again... Truly one of our greatest challenges...

So I painted a very special Summit Stone for my friend, having mixed in some particles of leaves and rock dust from where it had all happened. Then once upon our elusive summit, I passed the inspiration back once more, hopefully as it was so powerfully shared with me.

One of my greatest challenges - to be the friend, my friend needed me to be, throughout this long journey, and then in returning to this high point in time, place, and of feeling...

DSD

"Of Means And Ends....."

In the midst of all the anticipation and preparation, I needed some quiet to focus for a few moments... Some simple reflections to connect with, understand, then muse over and express here some thoughts - before heading out there upon one of my greatest challenges yet...

Any trail may be a path.

Any river can be the way.

Every climb could be our journey.

Each coastline might be our quest.

Any canyon is a crossroad.

All summits are subtle pilgrimages.

Our means and ends...

Such sources for spirit and synergy.

Every moment a mentor.

Every experience an elder.

Are we listening?

Am I ready?

Time to go.....

DSD

My thanks to G. Dixon for the above contemplative images.

"The Stone You Now Have In Your Hand..."

I've been reflecting on a recent email from Duncan C., where he commented on how the 'Stone he now found in his hand' was to carry some significant symbolism for him. Thank you Duncan, for prompting these musings for me.

I have before, been provided such wonderful comments regarding these little cobblestones, about while they are just rocks, they often become something elementally more - in what 'Finders' create for themselves in the experience of discovering one...

That 'Finders' simply have a smile on their faces, and to know a little karma has been passed forward, is often enough for me. But 'Finders' are very right, I often ponder too, as each and every one of the stones you may now have in your hand indeed has its own history, its own character, and truly its own story...

I have gathered these for decades, from wild places so far away, within certain elusive locations out there that seem to have very special elements present. They have typically been polished, not by me, but by the millenia, and the storms, winds, and waters that work a certain magic upon them.

In the early years, they were all placed by my hands, and now just as often are passed forward in a summit registry, to another adventurer, or in a distant established campsite, by Partners In Placing (who I write about in a link on this blog). Passing them forward as my Friends do, means these little stones have an added specialness about them, another component of character to their history...

It is not only the unique geologic compositions, nor their wonderful elementally polished feel they have - but also mixed in almost always now, are other things too... Read my post from January 25, 2010 on "Mixing In", to unveil those secrets within the stone now in your hand too...

But most importantly, as can be seen in a certain light, reflected off the coating I paint upon them, you will find something else as well... There, very subtly, you can see a reflection of yourself, the amazing spirit you brought with you, the wonderful adventure attitude you now have, as you have journeyed out among the wild places, and now can create other personal meanings for this little stone that is now yours.....

DSD

My gratitude to our Hiking Lady for the lower image above: http://hikinglady.com/

"Days In The Life Of An Island..."

First light upon my tent, sensed even before my eyes were open, now an awareness too, of the very soft awakening sounds of this small coastal island...

My island these last few days it seems, not another soul to be seen, no human marks upon the beach, out among the many tracks of other sentient ones who have wandered past mostly in the night. The tides have come and gone, and begin their ebb and flow yet again. I can hear their gentle caress upon both sand and rock, and with the shifting of driftwood in the water adding to those melodies. It rained a lot last night too, as darker clouds passed by the sense of a moon that was surely up there. I have recorded many musings in my journals in the moons quiet company...

The eternally comforting sound of rain upon the sand, falling among old growth trees, and pattering for attention on my tent, is something I will never cease enjoying...

I can close my eyes and hear now too the many voices in the breezes, the conversations of the winds. Seeking of solitude is one reason I am here. That and following the tides during this seasons' changes, looking for tracks of some elusive ones on the beaches, being able to circumnavigate small islands like these, and that essential, necessary time for daydreaming and the practice of gazing upon waves. Of course, I spend endless moments picking up countless small cobblestones, and examining them for the stories they have on their faces and hidden within them too...

I say 'days in the life' of this island, but those are my own terms, as such words do not really apply here. Time is a concept of ours, and these islands have their own life, become alive in so many other ways - light and dark, the slow growth of old growth, seasons upon seasons, eternities of rock and wind and rain, and the spirits too of everything that has breathed the sea air on this special place on a corner of a chart...

I make simple meals, while map reading, and pondering important things like the changing colors of the ocean, why the wind touches everything from so many directions, what birds make those unusual kind of songs, how beautiful these small rocks are that I've gathered up to later pass forward, and why it is that we always wonderfully lose a sense of self and time and other worldly concerns among such special wild places...

I never seem to sleep as well as I do here, near the waters, with the waves as my metronome. For one whose heath issues forever complicate my rest, this is truly another wild place gift I am so very much grateful for. Sunrise becomes sunset, the rise of a crescent moon becomes first light, and it seems I haven't moved at all. Simply snoozing, resting, gazing, gathering, pondering, eating, musing, wandering, paddling, tracking, listening, reading, and all other such adventure activities that blend in as I live out some days shared with this so friendly small island...

DSD

"In The Movement Of An Ice Axe..."

Simple movement...

Seemingly basic technique...

Simple, repetitive movements...

We learn such skills, practice them endlessly, tirelessly, again and again and again...

We perform the technique. We understand the intention. We grasp the nature of the repetitions.

Until we lose ourselves within the movements...

Until we go beyond the technique, further than the repetitions.

The movement then becomes part of the person.

Moving, absorbing, being, and then the real experience begins to emerge...

From the simple movement of an ice axe, out upon a mountain slope.....

DSD

"Spirits Walking....."

There is a so quiet time of certain days, when if only for brief moments, if we stand very, very still out there and maybe even hold our breath - then maybe we just might share in the experience of the spirits walking...

These so still ephemeral moments happen when that silky fog drifts in over a quieted ocean, or across that beach you've just landed upon. They walk from the water towards the trees, so slowly, always from the water... These elementals walk too among the earliest morning mountain mists, both before and after storms, when the wind has yet to disturb them. They wander among alpine meadows, brushing the dew from the grass and then resting near the timeless rocks out there...

Such spirits rise up and drift too over those yet to be frozen waters of northern lakes, where the colder approaching winter air greets them and the dense fog that is then embraced.

Then they look for us as we slowly paddle and hike among them...

They sit quietly as well among the stones of many rivers when they need a longer rest, or when they want to connect and converse with us, telling stories and laughing much as the water does over the wet rocks and rapids.

Such swirls of movement and memory, so much evoking of spirit and emotion... They may be mostly hidden among the elements, yet they watch and wait patiently for our return.

So then they may encircle each of us, while we are wandering within our own journeys, in a waking of spirits out there.....

DSD

My appreciation to O. Olivieri for the top image above and to A. Jones for the lower image.

"A West Coast Trail Dedication..."

This post is dedicated to all those past hardy adventurous hiking souls; and now to those too of IDEAS (Intestinal Disease Education & Awareness Society) & IBD Adventurers, like Rob Hill and Paul Head, who once again are setting out upon yet another journey - The West Coast Trail, to 'Adventure for another reason'... They are all now devoting themselves, offering up their efforts, for a special purpose - to raise funds and honour those who are challenged daily with IBD.

The West Coast Trail...

A path of history now over 100 years old.

A trail among trails... A trail of character and commitment, and a personal trial of finding ones' dignity within resoluteness. Our journey there often takes us into the mist and beyond...

The WCT, where the spirits hiking among the mist are of beauty, attitude, and rugged embracements. This is a special mix of trails of trees, and sand, and rock, and even mud.

For it is among such wild mystery where we each discover again the reasons for why we wander so, and maybe even for who we dedicate such endeavors to...

Here, on the WCT, we feel rain falling much like our tears of contentment; moments among sunrise & sunset and enlightenment's so very unique; tides and waterfalls of grandeur; the wonders of old trees as well as soft shifting sands and pebbles too many to count...

There, we fall asleep to the wind and waves, near so warm beach fires, and then awaken refreshed of body and spirit too. We discover ourselves among companions whose smiles we begin to know so closely.

Our West Coast Trail...

An elemental blending of wonders and mystery, magic and memories...

DSD

IBD & IDEAS: http://ibdadventures.com/2010/08/31/pauls-pre-trip-musings/

"Adventuring For Another Reason": http://summitstonesadventuremusings.blogspot.com/2009/10/adventuring-for-another-reason.html

"Paddling Towards Stillness..."

The friendship of winds,

White waves keeping company,

All of motion, momentum, and pace...

Directions without, becoming navigation's within,

Towards horizons of feelings,

Secret islands of wonder,

Journeys of being and place...

Moments above ocean,

Depths of calmness below,

While beneath sky's of mirrored beauty,

Among reflections we wish to become...

Such movement without time,

Paddling now so very slowly,

Towards our own special stillness.....

DSD

My thanks to B. Hatcher for the top image above and to S. Brown for the lower image.

"Our Position In The Raft..."

It was mostly class three, but a few amazing class four also, to really get our attention and focus out among those river rapids... Such cold waters, such a beautiful warm day... It was going to be an adventure experience of contrasts I thought as we loaded, tied down, reviewed roles, dry practiced, then launched out upon the welcoming river.

We often ponder our position along this meandering journey of life, and time out there, and I do as well when a person chooses their spot in our raft...

This young one decided to get their position in the middle of things, both hands holding so tightly upon the rope that encircles our small craft for safety. Often this arises from the novices' level of experience, and just as often from the shyness, and likely yet developed confidences.

Then we embarked upon just what each of us needed out on those fast moving waters - some to refresh themselves, others to practice skills, a few to get the rust off, and the spirited ones to discover themselves...

Such waters share wisdom, provide teachings, show ways and means to create and develop ourselves. We journey through our own passages and positions, just as the rivers do themselves. From turbulence, to calmness, from shallow to very certain depths, from unknowns to excitements...

As the sun began to cross overhead, and as the day evolved even further, so did this young one, from a position in the middle, then to further up where more can be seen, where more can be done - then later to the very bow, the very front edge of it all...

It is at this point where initial anxiousness becomes confidence, where nothing is now between us and the churning waters, where we can then reach out and grasp, and experience, and find something that was always there inside of us...

Such fluid elemental growth, such connection with others, all while sharing an adventure out upon wild place waters. And then I noticed what was surely to develop, what I had hoped for to see... That young one's face, such a great grin, looking over a shoulder, wanting a try at my guiding position away in the very back now too.....

DSD

"Hiking Among Ancients..."

To have such a hiking trail, with nearby rocky peaks to scramble upon, while being surrounded by Ice Fields and glaciers so very, very old, is simply wonderful and amazingly beautiful...

It's almost as if the elements have agreed that because so much of this area is so high, so extreme, and so far away, that one small point on this part of the map should be accessible to us. If for no other reason than to bear witness to what can most often may be only seen, never touched...

That seems to be true for the many who come to view the glaciers from far down before us on the highway below. Many cannot, or choose not to hike or scramble in this way, yet they are still afforded moments among such majesty of long ago...

Way up here though, as we gaze across at the distant Ice Fields, we can sense times long past, moments belonging to the Olden Ones and their ways. Everything here has existed, has lived, for so long that any kind of measure of their time lines becomes indistinct. These ancient peaks, these great glaciers, even the oldest windswept trees, among lichens of so many colors and ageless rocks of such different kinds surely holds the secrets of the eternities...

There are old stories to be discovered here, and told, of what existed back then, of the precursor's of today, of these beautiful monuments belonging to antiquity. They are so well preserved, and all so very prepared to pause for each of us - their former selves still in their continuing greatness in all its splendour, waiting patiently for we adventurers to venture forth and hike there among these ancients.....

DSD

My thanks to Adam for the lower image above.

"The Map Upon One's Face..."

Do we not all carry and display a type of map upon our faces... Are the lines, the contours, the images not unlike the symbols we find on the maps we use out there...

Our adventure experiences and the challenges & successes, trials & lessons, enjoyment & wonder of it all would seem to create many types of impressions upon one's face. When looking at each other during our journeys, we can see where we have been, can envision where we will now be going, almost as clearly as when we spread our maps out upon the ground. The title of a 'map' for any day of wandering may be of a hiker, a climber, then a kayaker, later a canyoneer, or river rafter, among so many other wondrous adventure pursuits. The legend of these maps - their keys, helps us to understand what is actually being represented there. We read it closely to envision what is being told to us... Again as we do when reading each others faces as we weather the elements, as we make our way among the wilds, when we look into that mirrored reflection upon those mountain lakes...

Maps need a compass too for knowing how to orient oneself to it, for clearly establishing north, and then understanding which way to turn and carry on. We enjoy mentally picturing such distances and heights, size and scales, depths and elements, both personal and of the wild places.

The maps upon our faces were not purchased though, but earned... They are as valuable as any ancient mariners chart, and have been sculpted not by ink, but by the elements themselves and through our efforts.

I so enjoy learning to read, to understand, to envision and embrace, the many challenges and discoveries that the maps on our faces and in our lives present for us.....

DSD