"Of Canyons And Crutches..."

It was such a great day for canyoneering... The desert heat, the colors, the surprises for both flora and fauna, unexpected waters deep between canyon walls, the immense fun of rappels, the scrambling and wedging oneself among ages old rock... such a great day...

We were having so much fun; I think my jaw hurt a bit from the smiling and the laughter as we returned to the cars. Then, while sitting there and chuckling more I looked up to see two quiet fellow adventurers - one who moved slowly by on a pair of crutches. The parking lot was full of climbers, hikers, and canyoneers... all themselves full of adrenaline and enjoyment, with that glow on their faces of mixed sun, accomplishment, and wild place wonders...

Our fellow on the crutches though, had no smile, no energy radiating from him, no magic in his step, no boisterous voice to talk and sing about the days adventures out there...

He was in obvious discomfort and moved like one who was new to the crutches, one who had only been recently injured, one who moved slowly not only because of this injury but also as a cause of the realisation of lost opportunities...

I could only wonder what had happened, and could truly empathize with his situation, as those of us who have experienced severe injury all can, in what that may do to us and may take away from us... The two seemed to wander a bit aimlessly, one seemingly not knowing what to do as his partner had been waylayed, and one very likely wondering what may come next during that long path of recovery... They went to their car, rested, then wandered off to watch some other climbers having their vertical fun. I had to move fast, as I had already decided to place a Summit Stone & Adventure Muse on their windshield... I simply walked by and tucked it there...

There have been small things gifted to me during my own injured times, such as very helpful words of encouragement, and useful shared experience of how to get by; I hoped maybe a quote in the Muse and the possible meaning a Finder may create about a small painted cobble, just might provide a bit of support at this moment in his trial...

They returned; had a puzzled look as they picked these up; the one on crutches sat with the door open while the other stood and watched... I sense they knew what it was...

He held the stone, and spent some long minutes looking through the Muse... Slowly, so slowly, the most beautiful smile crept up his face - one of those big, broad, full of energy, crinkle the eyes kind of smiles. I couldn't help it and found myself smiling in the same manner as I watched from beyond the cars. That smile, that look upon his face, was wonderful as was their animated discussion that was now underway...

Sometimes we all need a spark, a moment, a word, a gesture, even the most simple of things... just so we can see a little bit further along our own horizons and more of the possibilities that wait for us out there... even in the midst of the most trying of times...

I still smile today when I think of our great day of adventuring and even more so about that parking lot among canyons and crutches...

DSD

"Your Summit Strengths..."

As adventurers, even though we see much out there, often there can be hidden from our own eyes... certain secrets...

The truth of it is that we each have our own unique 'summit strengths'...

Novices sense their presence, while experienced ones have learned to respect and apply the vigour of what makes each of us individually strong. They are there regardless of how we define our own 'summits' in adventure and life... We discover these areas of power, durability, and stamina often in surprising ways. We develop them here, even more profoundly out there, through our own adventure ways and means while testing, toughening, or hardening and tempering ourselves...

As with all such strengths, when they are exercised, they become even more enduring, more resilient, more likely to assist us; to be there when we really need them - like in times like these...

What might your secret resoluteness be Dear Finders; what are your own particular strengths that make up the sum of you as an adventurer... Is it your enthusiasm, your distinct determination, the ways in which you plan and prepare... Might they be found in your persistence, possibility within your willingness to support and encourage others; maybe they are hidden among your unique physical abilities, or your skills of many kinds... Could they be seen in your talents in teaching, sharing, and leading others. Might they be discovered in what you've learned about yourself out there and how you bring that back here. Are you like the rivers that always find a way to keep flowing. Are you of the mountains that stand tall and weather the elements so well. Could you be reflected in the desert in its quiet yet powerful presence. Maybe you are of the canyons which have endured the millenia, or like the small coastal islands which meet every storm head on while only becoming more beautiful each and every season...

Are you of the bear, wolf, or eagle clan who mirror the character and bearing of their spirit animals during such trials...

Your 'secret summit strengths' are there my friends, and in times like these, we are all called upon to exercise them...

DSD

"Each Of Us....."

"Each of us is on a climb of a different sort, facing our own mountains, struggling to cross our own rough seas." Anon

Yet another element we all share.....

DSD

"Watching The Tide Go Out..."

There have been many moments where I have found myself just watching the tide slowly go out... While beach hiking, searching for cobblestones, and especially at the end of sea kayak trips out there. This time is so special... It allows for gently reflecting on the adventure days and nights just passed... For remembering the many preparations over how we get there, the visualization and all the efforts to journey to this point in time... For pondering the challenges offered to me, many accepted, some not this last days... For just musing over each of these moments, especially the unexpected ones, like the range of emotions the wild places affords each of us...

Then I just pause and quietly watch the ebb and flow of the tide and waves easing in and drifting back out...

I muse over what wonders I have seen... they are always there, I just need to open my eyes a bit more. These moments are for pondering too about why I came again, even when the elements may not have been agreeable.

I remember... sitting just so and thinking about all the seasons, the years gone by... the special times shared, the intense solo experiences, the many sea shores...

I remember... those feelings of excitement before a challenge, at times the anxiety during the course of some adventures, the sense of completion and accomplishment and even a bit of relief sometimes...

This is a time especially for reflecting upon that sense of contentment after those special goals, within that tiredness from well earned efforts, and the price of admission agreed upon and paid out there...

When quietly watching the tide ebb away I experience again the joy of seeing the sun glinting as jewels thrown upon the water as I have posted about before. The waves can be so meditative with their gentle mantra moving slowly across the sand and rocks...

You may see many things on a beach that couldn't be seen before as the tide ebbs away... just as we may now see with new eyes after very challenging adventure experiences.

And that is a lot to get out of the simple observation of the ebb and flow of our lives out there...

So, after these challenging days back here and those of island kayak adventuring out there, I am just watching the tide go out and sharing the moment with you.....

DSD

"Of Bamboo And Storms....."

"The bamboo, which gives way, survives a storm, while a brittle oak may be uprooted... In the adversity of life's storms, we should bend, but we need not break." Deng Ming-Dao

Such a simple, yet powerfully potent concept...
DSD

"Only Its' Eyes....."

There is a time of day... hours before first light, when adventurers - climbers in particular; rise to set out upon the earliest alpine start... These are hours of the deepest darkness; where the intense mystery and the quiet may close in upon you in either comfort or anxiousness...

On my solo scramble that particular very early day, I was following the old saying of adding time to your day by being earlier up; rather than hoping for extra hours at the end when energy and weather are more unpredictable... I was moving on the trail before three am, amidst that crispness and cold air the mountains are known for...

It was so very pitch black; such an intense quiet, only the crunch of my boots and uphill nature of my breathing was apparent...

Then... What I saw I was not sure; not sure at all... A sense of something, a glimmer of not one but two small points of light...

Just two small points of light - and then they blinked; closed for a short second and then turned and looked more directly, very intently, upon me...

I was no longer alone on that trail, maybe never was, but whatever was now sharing the path, of it all I could see were its eyes... only its eyes...

Eyes with a light behind them; reflecting an intelligence of another kind; wisdom of another nature. I do swear they shifted color ever so slightly as they watched me watching them...

After a few moments of quiet stillness my fears and anxieties diminished, were no longer as intense, and were replaced more now by curiosity and a feeling of kinship... It was a moment of reminder; of looking back to our ancient selves and where we have all come from... I was reminded too that our four legged fellow companions are always out there, we most often simply do not see them as they view us...

In a playful way as I have often done with my own furred companions, I made myself blink in a long, slow manner, as this is what many animals do when first meeting each other, deciding neither is a threat, and are then prepared to begin to trust...

And these two bight eyes blinked back just as slowly...

It was a connection; an understanding of sorts that I sense may have passed between us then... I moved further along the trail to see what would happen next, feeling clumsy in my movements and the noise I made... This creature moved along with me, yet only the eyes could I see, and it moved in total and absolute silence... We continued to share what I believe were a few more moments where each of us was wondering about the other... and then with a wisp of what may have been grey... it was gone...

Many say or write that the eyes tell all... When I looked into those eyes I saw our wild past. It affirmed for me yet again that we are not so far from our other family out in the wild places as we may think...

I will never forget those eyes.....

DSD

(The bottom image above is thanks to Blomquist, while I have misplaced my note regarding the top image.)

"There Can Be....."

"There can be no mountain without a valley, no wave without a trough, no rainbow without a storm." Grandfather, Mountain Elder

I will be posting some of my favorite Quotes on adversity this next while along with my usual weekly musings... It is never wasted effort during times like these to ponder things in different ways to gain more useful perspectives... That is what we adventurers are very good at!
DSD

"From Such A Perspective..."

I have always believed... that we have yet to truly understand the unique, powerful, and mysterious relationship we have to those who fly overhead...

Stephen Lyman wrote:"To the Winged Ones who see the larger picture from above".

Those of our winged family who have such a view of the world have much they can teach us...

I remember...Coastal kayaking among eagles young and old passing so closely by... A ridge route scramble, where quietly above us, maybe not noticed by all, was a great flight of wonders... Being solo on Banff's 3rd highest summit; higher than any mountain is sight, where my friend for the day was a single companionable bird...

I remember... Rafting the Grand; both in the midst of serious rapids and those quiet moments of floating and contemplation, when diving among us were winged creatures of to many varieties to count... There was a Columbia Icefields summit; where that magnificent creature of the air led the way... And there, flying overhead, on just a past adventure, we were once more sharing blue sky and even a more blue ocean with another of our wild place family out there... And yet again, during this season for climbing, after just a glimpse of a passing shadow, I waited to look up because I knew what I was wondering and hoping for... and was not disappointed...

There they were; not so far above, following our route - the mist in my eyes that moment from more than the cold...

A beautiful feather fell from the sky at some point that day and had landed near the summit cairn... While I didn't get a picture, it now rests with the register along with some small painted cobblestones...

I truly do believe we share a close relationship with the 'Winged Ones' that we do not fully understand yet... Scientists can't seem to agree on if we evolved some how from them; or maybe they have evolved further from us...

It does seem though, that if we could soar high above, especially during troubling times, and view the world from such a perspective, much would be seen differently by us on this great rock we all share.....

DSD

"Adventurers Don't Give Up....."

Adventurers don't give up...

We may change course, traverse around obstacles, maybe just back off and find another starting point sometimes...

We often choose different goals, frequently modify objectives, even set our focus upon another more attainable summit...

But adventurers don't give up...

We may try a hundred times, have to then try a dozen more, only to find just a few more efforts are still needed...

We attempt to understand things differently, we discover ways to use new eyes, we even create totally unusual means to get by out there...

Still, adventurers don't give up...

We often curse the conditions and weather, maybe batter ourselves against the elements, and at times we just can't seem to get ahead of the winds...

We do our best to plan and prepare, to temper and train our body and mind, and yet sometimes still no further ground is gained...

We may give in at moments, we ease off, we let go a bit, time out in ways, we may even quit for some intense brief moments...

We learn hard lessons, and then have to frustratingly learn them over again, and sometimes even more painfully yet again...

But adventurers don't give up...

We sometimes doubt, we often question ourselves, we usually feel anxiousness, and fears, and the occasional waning of confidence...

We make mistakes, have setbacks, even royally screw up...

Even still, adventurers don't give up...

We get injured, endure endless soreness and discomforts, feel physical, emotional, and spiritual pains...

We have to earn our way through tiring efforts, we shed tears and sweat, we go out as a group only to find conflict at times, we share with partners and may then go our separate ways, we head out solo and also might feel very lonely...

We complain, we grump, maybe even whine...

At times we lose our inspiration, certain moments undermine our level of enthusiasm, our dedication may even lessen when the distractions increase...

We get tired, we struggle, lose our way, get way off course, we fall, we flail, even mumble that we might have had enough...

But still again, adventurers don't give up...

We know... that if we go out long enough, and far enough, and high enough... we all will experience such trials many times over...

Then, when the years have passed and we ponder the lives out there we have lived, even with the inherent endless challenges...

We will still smile, and remember, and muse about how we have never truly, ever, given up...

We know in our hearts too that the wild places will never give up on us...

Then we'll turn once more into the wind and begin yet again because adventurers don't give up.....

DSD

"Of Wild Place Strongholds..."

"Somewhere among pines at sunset, or alone in a cool quiet of morning, perhaps with a friend on sunlit rock, or in some near illumination on a mountain... are strongholds of our lives...".

P. Ament

Of confidence and internal strengths...

Of bonds, of closeness, and fellowship...

The elements of these within us...

We often discover and share among the elements about us...

Our wild place refuge; our wild lands strongholds...

DSD
My appreciation to Mike Warren for the above images:http://flickr.com/photos/mike-warren/

"Wild Place Refuge....."

Oh, what a fall it has been... of diversions and distractions... and the winds of change are blowing so hard right now...

There will always be times of personal angst, political challenge, worldly unrest, unknown markets, and even those just of constant unexpected stress...

Yet a promise of the wild places is that the natural wonders out there are just as enduring, the elements we need to blend with will always remain, the refuge we may need to seek forever present and giving to us... Wild places offer us moments of retreat, time for us to rest and shelter when our way of being in the world needs some small protections...

So my friends, might we all take a few moments... to watch the flight of a beautiful bird, walk among old forest or young new trees, time to sit and listen by the river, some brief contemplation while looking up at the mountains or out upon the ocean before us, a simple bike out into the desert, even a short paddle among quiet islands...

The opportunity for refuge among the wild places will always outnumber any of those competing influences that may seem to close in upon us at times...

While a time out of sorts or escaping from the 'important' things it may seem, this is more truly about our regrouping, centering ourselves once again, allowing it all to settle as nature does after a storm, and in letting the high winds and rough waters of troubled perceptions calm themselves - all so we can then return from our wild place refuge more focused, now seeing more clearly, and thus so much better able to then choose our responses to the demands made upon us back here...

Seek out your wild place refuge.....

DSD

"Wild Resilience..."

There is a great wealth of wisdom literature around about the ways and means people keep going when the going gets extreme and severe. Most reflects upon how and why and with what motives they draw their strength from - even long after most of us might have expected to have given up... Much of this writing defines principles of behaviour and describes strategies by which severe challenges may be met and overcome...
Yet what I find of most interest is that a great many of the examples used and the case studies applied involve those who would see themselves as adventurers...
The unique hidden gemstone in this literature is that we, ourselves as adventurers, are very often the 'subjects of study'. Be it climbers, trekkers, soloists, survivalists, kayakers, adventure racers, mountain bikers - all of us at one time have become the prime case example in such studies... The research typically looks at why we do it, how we bounce back, how it is we keep going, and going, and going; and also inquires about the paradox of us actually making experiences harder for the 'fun of it' out there...
This wild resilience we adventurers have is both puzzle and paradox to those who study us. Yet we know... don't we... the secrets of what is to be found out there... and within each of us as well...
Such examination and the wisdom literature that comes of it would seem to be of real and distinct value to all of us wild place wanderers who muse and ponder through tough times... but also clearly for anyone hoping to better understand human resilience in general...
We are an interesting wild bunch aren't we Dear Finders.....
DSD

"Seeking Our Shackletons..."

Years upon years ago, I discovered and then read whatever I could find on Sir Ernest Shackleton and the journey of his ship, the 'Endurance'... It was one of my very first experiences with adventure literature, and what a powerful impression it made upon me...

That voyage through challenging terrain, time, severe trial, and especially of spirit exists as one of the most inspiring stories out there... I recall the wonder, amazement, and the tears upon my face as I finished those books...

It was not an ending for me, but a distinct beginning. This had sparked an interest that still remains today about the source of real inspiration, true wonderment, about human endurance, and the power of spirit and motivation; particularly within adventures...

From that waypoint until now, even decades later, I continue to seek out these 'Shackletons'...

For me, and many I know, 'Shackletons' are true examples of intense experience, epic tales of trials, clear moments of intention and motivation, and journeys that are inherently full of inspirations... These 'Shackletons' have had immense value and practical utility for myself and those I know closely; especially in overcoming the epics within our own lives... And very much so when storms, setbacks, and mistakes cast us off course ... There will always be such trials that test our intentions and commitment, unexpected situations that attempt to break down our hopes and dreams. While these are as natural as lightning, sleet, high winds and waves - ever present too out there are each of our own 'Shackletons'... Those things that truly inspire us, that continue to ignite and sustain our internal passions and flames...

If we just open our eyes to see what we are viewing, and make the choice to turn into the wind, just as Sir Ernest did time and time and time again... we will endure.....

DSD
This Link is to the amazing descendants of Sir Ernest Shackletons' band of explorers, who will follow in their ancestors footsteps from the end of October 2008 until well into 2009: http://www.shackletoncentenary.org/

"A Summer For Passing Forward..."

I wrote for the last page of the 'Adventure Muse': "Passing things like your experience, a 'Summit Stone', or adventure quotes, forward, is a way of giving back and sharing wisdom, strength, and hope. If you enjoyed your 'Summit Stone' and the Adventure Muse, then pass something along to someone else you see on their own journey"...

A few selected fellow adventurers from out there have taken this to heart... And this I am so grateful for...

There are so many paths to take, rivers and lakes and trails to explore, distant islands and elusive summits to quest for... On occasion I have asked if certain fellow adventurers might be intrigued in becoming part of the karma of this small stone endeavor... And some indeed have...

This is a concept, a sharing theme, that was suggested to me by a close friend; one who lives very much within the wild places...

There are a great many adventures out there, and so many elements of the wild places I will never see, wild lands never to set foot upon; that I still so enjoy imagining and musing over...

I ponder while walking one path how a fellow adventurer is on that very same day, making their way to one of their own elusive summit experiences...

So, my sincere appreciation and thanks to you dear friends, who have shared in this journey, the efforts and messages of giving back and passing forward, the mystery and karma of it all, and especially for the smile of a Finder who discovers a small gift that we all shared in placing together...

DSD

"Lawrence Grassi & The Lake O'Hara Trails Club..."

Here we have... Two unique elements caring for our wild places... linked through time, intentions, and real efforts... An historical man of our mountains and an Organization who continues in the same nature of giving back and passing forward...

Peakfinder.com wrote of Lawrence Grassi (1890-1980) that his: "Love of the mountains is legendary. Grassi visited all areas of the Rockies, making many solo climbs, some of them undoubtedly first ascents that were never recorded. Although he climbed many of the high mountains of the Rockies his favorite was probably the technically demanding Mount Louis, which he climbed thirty-two times. In the summer of 1925 he is said to have completed the first solo ascent of Mount Assiniboine and in 1926, together with another climber, ascended the east face of Cascade Mountain. Although he loved to climb he also loved to build trails in the mountains. An examination of the trails Grassi built, not only in the Canmore area but in other valleys of the Rockies as well, demonstrate his strength. Huge stones were moved single-handedly to construct steps, bridges, or simply to provide stepping stones. He set off into the hills, axe on shoulder, to make trails to points on interest. It was a labour of love. He loved the mountains but enjoyed having others share their beauty. So day by day he pushed through the bush discovering the best ways of approach - blazing a trail, cutting out the underbrush, grubbing out stones and rocks, bridging little mountain streams."

J.S. Woodsworth said of him: "The world needs Grassis'... men who will seek new paths; make the rough places smooth; bridge the chasms... point the way to higher levels and loftier achievements."

Grassi has an Alpine Hut, two beautiful lakes, and a mountain very much worth climbing all named in his honor... And this is the legacy that Grassi gave us, which the Lake O'Hara Trails Club continues to pass forward, season after season, year upon year...

The Lake O'Hara Trails Club is a non-profit group of energetic and enthusiastic volunteers. They were established in 1949 and continue with their efforts and intentions today. Committed to this cause are: "Those individuals who, moved by a deep love for the beauties of the mountain areas of western Canada, volunteered their efforts to create a system of trails in the Lake O'Hara region." These trails are some of the most eco-friendly , ingeniously made among many of the most pristine mountains and lakes of North America...

The Lake O'Hara Trails Club Mission is to inspire appreciation and stewardship of this vulnerable, beautiful wild place... Their motto is: "Preserve through appreciation"...

Three words that convey intention, commitment, understanding, and sharing at many levels...

Grassi passed his creed forward to the Lake O'Hara Trails Club, and they like many other such dedicated organizations, continue to give back to his memory, while also passing forward to all of us season after season... year upon year...

DSD

Link for the Lake O'Hara Trails Club: http://www.lotc.ca/

Link to Peakfinder.com: http://www.peakfinder.com/

"The Spirit And Need For Adventure..."

"Adventure is a human need. We recognize it as the daring thing which makes us bigger than our usual selves. Adventure is the curiosity of man to see the other side of the mountain, the impulse in him that makes him break his bonds with lesser things and frees him for greater possibilities". W. Burnett

Sometimes... A fellow wild place wanderer is able to capture such spirit of adventure within certain images... Dru accomplishes this in special ways...

DSD

My appreciation to Dru on Flickr for his enspirited photography that blends with Burnett's quote: http://www.flickr.com/photos/druclimb/

"Spirit Island Kayaking..."

With a very early start, we were first upon the waters that day... It was so very calm, yet we were wary as it was to be a long, full kayak day to Spirit Island and return. Maligne Lake is known well for how the wind is caught and funnelled down its long shorelines and narrow waters... Just after first light, bright newly born sunbeams were reaching high as we set out with a strong cadence. The only sound was of water upon paddle; a meditative experience in such calm... Later during a short break we drifted slowly and were amazed at the picture perfect reflections of each of us in the water... 'Which was real'... I wondered... the one above, or the one below these special enspirited waters...

The pebble beaches found here and there had some prior existence of camping. Among these rocks and fire rings I placed a few Summit Stones with a gesture of reverence for these wild place surroundings... Our only fellow adventurers' we later paced and then shared a moment with were canoeists out on a multi-day trip. They were a fun couple, full of energy. We talked about the beautiful terrain, the surrounding mountains, the days to come, our shared cautions over the winds, and then parted ways. I passed them a Summit Stone and said, 'For around the campfire'...

While there were other boats out later in the day, on the tours to this place of spirit, we were gladly on our own when quietly arriving at Spirit Island... It can be a popular place and site to see. Yet our moments there were mostly about reflection, softly spoken words, both collecting and placing a few cobblestones, some journal entries, and gazing... simply gazing upon this tiny enspirited island, among majestic snow capped summits and waters from thousand year old glaciers...

On our return much later in the day, those winds began to make their presence known. We were in single kayaks; which made for hard paddling and a sustained cadence, even drafting each other somewhat. We dug in and just kept going... We tried both sides of the lake for the most sheltered water, but the nature of the long terrain and the persistence of the wind in seeking us out, meant for no breaks at all...

We were rewarded in seeing a huge moose which joined us in the water just before we landed. At the end of this very long paddle, my partner tiredly said that the day felt like a marathon of sorts; but like with that event, while very tiring, they still are such great experiences...

When resting and stretching after on shore, we reflected upon the spirits of the day, Spirit Island itself, in placing a few gifts for Finders out there, and in the stories and memories we found out there.....

DSD

"An Echo Of A Flame..."

There is a small island... among many others... off the coast of a larger island...

A very favorite place of mine to wander by sea kayak. I had never set foot upon this particular point of rocky shore until during one very, very, low spring tide. I was just barely able to land for a brief stretch... I often wonder what I may find during such moments... new vistas, unseen terrain, maybe not touched by any other... something from our past... And that was the echo that I not so much saw, as sensed that sunny day...

Among the trees, above the waters, tucked into the rocky shore... was an ancient fire ring...

How ancient I am never sure, but old enough for trees to grow tall among the placed rocks of this ring... old enough for there to be no remains at all of a flame burning, except for some blackening barely left under the rocks used there...

But still... here this was... and I wondered over it; pondered further too about who had been there, how very long ago, and with what echoes they had lived their lives with...

They would have been looking then at pretty much what I was viewing at this present moment... They stayed longer in this spot than I would, to likely eat and sleep by this warm fire. The flames would have flickered off the nearby trees with the echo of their laughter falling upon the company of the ocean... Their presence would have been reflected in many ways as they lived that day among these secluded islands...

Such echoes create images in our minds eye of what was, even at times of what could be...

I remind myself that our actions in the wild places may echo and resonate for eternities just as these fire rocks have...

I ask often of myself too... what will we pass forward to be heard generations from now, and who will sense the reverberations of our intentions and adventures of today...

What an interesting connection over time... From ages ago until these moments; from then until now... from them to each of us... in the simple echo of a flame.....
DSD

"Hiking Hidden Valleys..."

There are many hidden valleys out there... waiting... just waiting...

I am sure some hardly ever see the shadow of a human fall within them; hardly ever hear the breathing of a person among them...

Many such hidden places only the feathered and the four legged ones know about...

It was on a solo, just off the regular trail, while hand-railing a small alpine lake, that I was to enjoy the serendipity of discovering the remnants of a very old trail heading subtly north off into the trees...

It wouldn't have even been noticed if I hadn't stopped at just that spot to adjust my pack again as it often shifts about as if it has a mind of its own...

"I wonder...", are two words which have led me out both on amazing unplanned adventures and epics as well. I pondered these words again in my mind... and then just stepped out and started to follow where this musing and that trail might take me...

It was a very old trail; after an hour it only led to what seemed to be a narrowed section where two rock bands met and embraced each other... I 'wondered' again, and after some struggling with scree and scrub, made my way up and through this stony cleft... The trees beyond only thickened further, but after just a bit more persistent bushwacking, the rock dropped away... and a small hidden valley opened up...

There are times out there that brand an image within our minds as any tattoo upon the skin - so memorable, so vivid are they...

I wandered about there for hours... For such a small place there was much to explore... Trees to gaze upon, a small stream to listen to, polished rock to hold, lichen to wonder over, high cliffs on all sides to look up at, and tracks to study...

That was a very special day of wandering and wonderment... of simple exploring and enjoying... of reflecting upon summits and secrets and musings among that little hidden valley...

I have yet to return to that secret place... part of me kind of hopes no one else has discovered it since; but I am sure someone has. On those quiet reflective evenings, I wonder again if that old snow ever really melts in there, I ponder how much growth has taken place, and what flowers are out this season... I wonder too if that ages old cairn I found still exists, and I smile as I think of the little surprise I placed there...

And then I begin planning to return to that special hidden valley... There are many of them out there waiting still.....

DSD