"A Raven, A Ram, And A Bear..."

It has been many years since I completed that challenging mountain scramble. It's name is reflective of its long history, both as a mountain to be climbed, and for how it has been a beacon for travelers down those long valley systems. Nowadays though, what I remember most after all this time, is not only about the route, the rock, or even the summit itself, but rather just as fondly - a raven, a ram, and a bear...
Three wild ones who made their presence known, who shared some brief moments with me, and whose inspiration kept me going that whole unfolding full adventure day.
The route finding there, the rock, and the ridgelines were very daunting at points for me in my younger years. I was out solo as well, having very much planned and prepared to do just that. But there were still lingering doubts present too, which we often learn to use as messages and for energy, to really focus upon what we each need for being safe and to keep going.
That beautiful raven appeared when I was off route a bit, and stayed up above for the next few hours. So whenever I looked up and around, there that raven was, almost beckoning me seemingly exactly right along the way I needed to go...
Then, just before the summit block, when I was puzzled by the seemingly endless possible variations up those difficult rock steps, I could no longer see the raven. But right up above was now a mountain ram. Just gazing down at me, almost with a little smile on his face, as they often look to so have. Quietly, calmly, patiently, just watching. Him observing this other two-legged creature who was soon to share his rock, sun, and air up there. The ram moved off in the distance as I moved up, and the summit then became everything I had hoped it to be...
Much, much, later when moving along the trail out, after an even longer decent, I heard what we are often listening for in such situations. That movement, a kind of shuffling, through the ground cover and the trees. So I moved far back and away, and then watched from a distinct distance. An old black bear then slowly approached the trail from within the darkening trees, glanced directly at me, then ambled across and towards another valley. I waited for quite some time before moving on, pausing to look in the direction this Elder went. There on the ground, just off the trail, was quite a lot of broken rock that made me smile greatly. Such perfectly formed shapes and flatness were these stones, making them a wonderful medium to splash a bit of paint on...
A raven, a ram, and a bear. Gifting me with moments, memories, and so much more to mark and muse about that mountain adventure day... DSD
My gratitude my Friends, for sharing your images with us all here.