“Embracing The Ancient...”

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

“What If...”

What if...

What if it all means we should go. 
You know, even with all of 'That'.

What if all of those other so important distractions, that daily distress, those preoccupations of people and time pressures, the never ending deadlines, family concerns, others issues, lack of support or sleep, that extra work, or feeling quite tired of it all - what if on another level of understanding and need, what if it all means you should go.

Of course, many of these are real concerns, important in their own way, and needing of some time and attention. But, what if, having all of these kinds of storms in our lives - rather than meaning we shouldn't or seemingly couldn't go, what if they all actually are telling us a different secret... 

Even while they are trying us, testing us, to see how much we want these adventures; what if much of what we really need many times is to be found in the avocation of our wanderings out there.
What if, by going, we discover more clarity, become centered again, more focused yet relaxed, renewed of energy, and so much more able to return to navigate all those other such things back here.

What if, after pondering this seemingly simple question, we each uncover a heretofore hidden and immeasurably valuable answer for ourselves.

What if...

DSD

“Two Climbing As One...”

Two climbers, two rope partners, two close friends. 
Climbing as one, on a mountain of rock, among endless beauty of snow and ice. 
Knowing that closeness and shared feelings of movement, sensation, of placement, and position. 
It is typically two who are out there, upon those mountain faces, while linked by rope, and commitment in that unique way. 
There may be two, but they are really climbing as one.
A special experience of connection it is, of profound shared wonders and such potent energy. 
Touching the same rock - moving, blending, within the music of adventurous synchronicity. 
A mixing in of space, within moments of time, and of an agreed upon intention. 
One knowing the other, so very closely, in that experience of trust, confidence, and friendship. 
There may be two, yet they are more truly climbing as one..... DSD

“Such Tides...”

While even so called, I was to learn that such tides occur not just in the spring, but rather when the Earth, Sun, and Moon are in concordance. They are the strongest of tides; the tides of extremes for highs and lows, when the pull, the drawing, of both sun and moon work synergisticly together. 
The moon was indeed very full as I looked out over those island waters. I had not seen them in some time.
The tide tables also shared what could now be viewed out among these quiet points of rock that were growing higher and larger as the minutes passed. 
The waters were withdrawing, were retreating, were letting go of their grasp upon the land. 
And as with all true mystery, now things were being shared that were not known before. 
I was up at that very early hour for just this experience. 
To listen in the night, to converse with the moon, to watch the waters ebb beyond, to walk upon a shoreline that hardly ever breathes the air, and hopefully to find those treasures that are only shared in those brief, ephemeral, moments such as this.
They were indeed there.
The pure soft sands, the countless shells & sand dollars, endless polished cobblestones, and tidal life so vibrant and full of energy. 
I wandered and strolled and walked and mused and stooped and sat for endless moments, until the waters voice became more insistent to return. 
Then the first full glow of a distant horizon began to more show itself.
Such a special spring tide.
Another of those gentle, hidden, beautiful gifts from out there..... DSD 

“No Tread At All It Seemed...”

No Tread at all it seemed, between us and the trail that day.
Within a flow, a sense of something else, effortlessness among our paths. 
Those feelings, a sweet spot to be, ongoing motion, momentum forward, no need for long to rest.
No tread between us and the trail, nor the mountain too.
Steep slopes, so much loose scree, yet continuous movement, with heads held up very high. 
The knowing of endurance of another kind, an assuredness within each and every step. 
Forward, upward, then upon the peak, nothing between us and the ancient rock. 
Instead a sensing, blending, becoming one, between us and that whole adventure day.....DSD

“Simply, Quietly, Resolutely, Calmly...”

To stand upon such a summit; quietly, resolutely, calmly. 
Listening by oneself, to our most inner adventure selves.
On our own, yet never alone. 
Gazing out before us, upon a sea of summits, and wonderful experiences too.
To rest upon a summit in this way, to begin to know our mountain, so very personally and closely, is to touch the hidden and elusive, the most ephemeral, the very enduring, the truly elemental. 
Upon such a summit, simply by oneself..... DSD

“Geomancy...”

I've always believed in Geomancy: the mysteriousness of the Elements.
I've certainly felt the reality of Geopiety: special favorite places in the world where we each seem to belong.

How about you? Hasn't it felt just 'right' when you've touched that granite rock, turned a corner on that trail and saw that forever moment vista, or landed with a muted crunch on that sandy and rocky beach.

What about one of those nights when you got up for a moment and gazed up at stars to numerous to count.
Then discovered again that mountain lake that you've seen so many times before and yet find yourself now really beginning to sense what is there.

Then there are the sounds - falling asleep to the wind in the trees, the distant thunder that both intrigues and yet scares us, the many cords of the rain, how it starts, grows in cadence, then fades away. And the ocean - which has too many sounds too note, and yet whose music we never seem to tire of.
How can there not be a Geomancy; how can we not find some Geopiety?

So it also feels right to then give something back; picking up some garbage out there, helping on trail restoration, or quietly passing forward while placing a few little touchstones season after season.

Maybe when others found these, it invited them to create some of their own Geomancy.
Maybe they will also then give something back to that wild place...

DSD

“A Lovely Truth...”

"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware."    M. Buber

“Thaumatourgos...”

Languages and stories are like stones for me; the older and the more unique, the better.
The Greeks for example, knew how to blend both the mysteries and the realities of life in many of their ancient stories. Their culture was one built upon and also set many times within stone as well. They revered people who would journey into the wilds and return to share their tales. These were the Thaumatourgos.
The ones who were changed, who underwent powerful transformations as they met with and endured the elements. This ability to do this within such experiences belonged to the realm of these 'wonder workers'.
Adventurers are indeed Thaumatourgos and are certainly a part of that group that embraces all of the wonders out there.
As adventurers, we marvel at that which we wander through, we seek out the elements and the beautiful mysteries of nature, as we know of the these potential transformations that will surely become real for us. The wilds are the places and the elements are the means.
We adventurers see this every time we journey among the mountain giants, as we wander the hidden valleys and forests, as we travel among the distant coastal islands, and over the mysterious northern lakes too. 
Philosophers have also mused over the Thaumatourgos, but in their own unique way. Their view of such transformations and reflections are of personal beliefs, especially those about responsibilities, and also in the understanding of the concept of 'gifts'.
Most adventurers I know are philosophers in their own right - poets too; as they create their own magic or 'Theurgy' out there through spirit and effort, energy, and altered perceptions. Any personal transformation is about change, in appearance, in form, and through expression. 
The wonder of such workings is that we see this all the time out there, like when climbing upon the face of a mountain through the various seasons. 
We ourselves experience this intensely when we return changed in so many ways from what we were before our adventure experience's had unfolded. As with the frozen rivers which will transform to flowing waters, or with the so stormy ocean which returns to its' own calmness, we too become an inherent part of the whole wild place Thaumatourgos. 
Sometimes when wandering the wilds, I can even transform back so many years into that younger version of myself as I climb or kayak or canyoneer. 
Now that is a magical gift. 
Such transformations, our personal adventure Theurgy, is truly a transmutation of the elements. 
What a powerful, wonderful, blend of expression, spirit, and magic this is..... DSD

“Calculus...”

Musae, Movere, Ignis. Significatio, Elementi, Vita. Ignis, Ubi, Natura... Nine words of Latin. Written on some parchment. Found in an old register. Upon an elusive summit. It seems the interpretation though, is now up to each of us. Calculus... DSD 

“Summits...”

Mountain summits are small places with large symbolic potential... The sublimity of mountain climbing manifests itself in two ways: as an environment to be experienced and as a medium for self-expression." R. Mitchell

“It’s All About Perspective...”

"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." M. Mardon

“Adventure Energies...”

I've heard Mountain & Sea Kayak Guides, as well as our Outward Bound Instructors, all mention it. 
We've seen it in action in the Grand Canyon; experienced it in ways hard to describe while climbing and when out upon the ocean; felt it so sustain us on longer treks. 
And we are still seeking out the meanings of to 'go where the energy is'... 
I believe this to be a quietly, profoundly, simply important concept for those of us who wander. We only need to witness its' magic once in a fellow adventurer, after seeing them so tired and worn out past where a person would be expected to last. Yet they do... 
We see them discover a different source of energy, a whole new wellspring of enthusiasm and motivation to keep on going. It is then we ask: What is this means for motion have they tapped into; what elemental energies have they aligned with? 
While as individuals we do vary in our physical makeup, in our internal energies of motivation and drive, and as well in how our external objectives then pull each of us forward - energy is the essence that any adventurer draws upon to make their wild place dreams become real. 
Ability is only the beginning. 
Energy is what makes it sustaining. 
So, what does this mean - 'to go where the energy is'? Could it be about those places of geomancy where a force, some kind of latent power, emanates from the elements themselves? 
Might it be the synergy of shared vigour and fun that group activity out there radiates in countless dynamic ways? 
What is hidden behind that which incites each of us, that causes our hearts to beat so, that stimulates our mind, our spirit, the very core of our being? 
Maybe it is the potential to be discovered within every new experience; possibly the passions each of us have that fuels our personal flames; or also quite likely the endless variations of the elements themselves that never cease to inspire each of us out there. So wherever your elemental enthusiasms wait for you Dear Finder, trek towards them, embrace them, allow yourself to be infused by them. Ask yourself right then, why does this stimulate me so, what is it that I want here, what do I want this to mean, why is this so important for me. 
Such questions and the resulting musings will surely guide each of us to where your own lasting energies await..... DSD