"Softly Singing....."

I'm not sure when I noticed, but on a solo scramble, at some point amidst that long climb, I found myself softly singing...
There didn't seem to be a lot of words to this tune, only a bit of melody there as well. But isn't it amazing my Friends, when we discover ourselves doing this kind of thing out within the trials of our adventures.
We are surely happy within our efforts.
It was indeed a different mountain scramble, with challenging route finding and exposure, and a much longer day than I had expected.
Yet the harder it got, the more rhythm I seemed to find within me - just singing & humming softly in those special ways we all know and share in from out there.
I believe this was likely more about contentment and spirit, than any attempt at distraction from the efforts. Although that in itself can be a useful technique for keeping going.
I think it was later on the summit, when I began to realize what those sounds, this elusive music and words meant.
I was just so happy back then to be there, just so appreciative that I still could adventure so after these long years, and with my health challenges.
Then I started that even more daunting descent, simply, quietly, singing softly to myself..... DSD
Thank you for your images my Friends.

"Deciphering The Stone..."

"I close my eyes. The rock takes on a deep texture. Grooves and lips I haven't noticed before emerge under my fingers. I sweep slowly and begin to construct a mental map of the rock. There is so much here than I ever realized... I'm consumed by deciphering the stone, as if its story is here in Braille...".  J. Auld

"Many Paths..."

"Many paths lead to the summit. But it takes a whole body to get there. We are all trying to get to the summit, and there are many valid paths leading to the top. Of course, the view and terrain on one side of the mountain will differ from the other, but the summit is identical no matter what your approach. Whatever your path, all that matters is that you commit yourself totally to following it. As long as we all climb, each from our own direction, we will reach the summit...". D. Ming-Dao

"I Found..."

"I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in...".  J. Muir

"A Pebble Thrown..."

"I feel as though I found meaning while walking in the woods... A pebble thrown into a pond creates ripples of water which sends ripples into the air and so on and so forth... This rippling effect followed me back into society and strengthened my beliefs in the interconnectedness of all things. It boosted my beliefs that people must be good to each other, as the ripples aren't just in the water, but in the conversations and actions we have with each other...".  S. Haraldson

"Sando....."

"It is the Way of the mountain... The Japanese affix the suffix 'do' to the names of arts. 'Do' usually translates as the 'Way'. 'San' can be used to mean mountain. I decided to create a new word, 'Sando', as meaning the Way of the Mountain. I bow towards the mountain, and whisper Sando to the wind, hoping it will carry all the way to the summit...".  N. Shulman

"Mountains Never Likely To Climb..."

Quite some time ago I rediscovered an old passage that told the story of an Elder who planted countless trees during her life. In later years she was still doing so even though most of these trees, she would never see mature, nor would likely ever sit under and enjoy their shade after such efforts...

I was reminded of an adventure experience of our own from ages ago that happened during those impressionable, open eyed, early years we all pass through and often try and hang on to.

We met an Elder, back then, who was labouring upon a newer trail bearing towards a valley and mountain range seldom seen. Clearly, the trail would be needed as the possibilities therein for hiking, scrambling, and climbing were many and so intriguing. Ours was likely one of the earliest groups to wander in that remote area, and we were all surprised by our encounter with this trail steward. His age seemed very advanced to ones so young as us, and I smile today when I think I am likely older now than he was back then - but his efforts and strength were drawn from a unique passion, a sense of dedication, a powerful commitment, and were not diminished by any typical chronological measure.

Still, that Old Man of the Mountains was working that day upon the beginnings of a potentially very long trail, one that he may never have seen completed, might never have really trekked upon himself, towards a mountain range he would never likely climb among...

I have pondered in that timeless way we all do, over those moments we shared with him during our break that day. Our focus was on the distance, our efforts were to get further out there, and we were not wondering much about what we were standing upon then nor who we were sharing the ground with.

Yet I carried that image of him with me throughout our adventures out there the following weeks. There was just something about him. There was a substance to what he was achieving that I had not touched yet, a reflection of commitments and adventures of another kind...

He is surely hiking other paths and climbing higher places of spirit now.

That trail he was creating back then is used today by many each season, as they journey towards mountains he never likely climbed.

I wonder if they can feel his presence out there as they pass over the ground he prepared and passed forward to us. I sincerely hope so.....

DSD 

 

"Simply Because..."

 

'To those people in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required, not because others may be doing it, not because we seek any votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich...'.  J.F. Kennedy

"Remember, Again And Again..."

"Remember, again and again, that the true journey is into the undiscovered land of your own imagination, which you could not have explored any other way than through these adventures, with gratitude in your satchel, and compassion for all you see as your touchstone...".  P. Cousineau

"Jake Norton & All Of Our Support For Nepal..."

"A Life List is, in the end, nothing more than a tool to look back on our lives and consider how we spent our brief moments on Earth. And what if, in those final breaths, you realize - I never gave anything back...". J.B. MacKinnon

A musing that forever echoes...
Please look over the articles and many options for support that Jake Norton has gathered up for everyone to share in. He is a trusted friend, worldly mountaineer, and a true advocate.
Thank you my friends... DSD

"Deep Within Our Moments..."

Back in those initial moments.
During all of that intensive preparation.
We each dreamed of eventually being on our way.
Towards a longed for journey of adventure - and then we began...
Up there in those unfolding moments.
Upon that long winding ridgeline.
Over rock we were not sure of.
We felt there would be so much energy and excitement - and there clearly was...
Amidst those very challenging moments.
Throughout the route, and then the crux of this chosen mountain.
We thought there would be those engaging sensations of such focus and concentration - and there certainly were...
Then deep within those forever moments.
Finally upon our so elusive summit.
Within that calmness of winds, clouds, and perceptions.
We hoped for those gentle emotions of contentment and connection - and now there always will be..... DSD 

"A Great Moment..."

"This is a great moment, when you see, however distant, the goal of your wandering. The thing which has been living in your imagination suddenly becomes a part of the tangible world...".  F. Stark

"The Very Essence Of Mountaineering..."

"That, when all is said and done, is the very essence of mountaineering. That it is, by materialistic standards, useless... that it is one of those rare and precious human activities that man performs for their own sake, and for that alone...".  J.R. Ullman

"Our Deepest Bonds..."

"It is within nature that we form our deepest bonds. Young, old. Mother, child. Father, sister, brother. All...".  J. Muir

"As A Way....."

"Walter Bonatti came to see climbing not so much as a conquest of peaks, as a conquest of oneself. For him, extreme alpinism served as a path to self-knowledge, a means of growth and renewal through contact with nature, and as a way of maintaining balance and sanity in a society growing excessively complex and complacent...".  N. O'Connell

"The Most Fundamental Axiom..."

"The most fundamental axiom in the mountains: live in the moment...".  J. Turk

"Grand Companions..."

“Give me a map to look at, and I am content. Give me a map of country I know, and I am comforted: I live my travels over again, step by step, I recall the journeys I have made; half-forgotten incidents spring vividly to mind, and again I can suffer and rejoice at experiences which are once more made very real. Old maps are old friends, understood only by the man with whom they have travelled the miles. Nobody could read my maps as I do. Lend a book to a friend and he can enjoy it and miss nothing of its story: lend him a map, and he cannot even begin to read the tale it has to tell. For maps are personal things which books are not. The appeal of an old map is to the memory; an old map spread across my knees closes my eyes. The older, the more tattered it is, the greater my affection for it. I recall our adventures together in storm and sunshine; an occasion, perhaps, when it slipped from my pocket and I searched my tracks anxiously, as for a lost companion, until it was found; an occasion, perhaps, when the mist was thick and instinct and the map urged different ways, and I followed the map and came to a safe ground again. Ah yes, maps are grand companions.”
AW Wainwright

"Never Forgotten..."

"We organize information on maps in order to see our knowledge in a new way. As a result, maps suggest explanations; and while explanations reassure us, they also inspire us to ask more questions, consider other possibilities."  P. Turchi

That was a very long trail. 
A trail winding far through distant valleys, then even further over a number of mountain passes. It would eventually loop through those mountain ranges, back once more upon itself, as it meandered around those many mountain peaks.
It was my trail to wander for those late season adventure days, as I wanted to simply solo hike, ponder, and wonder.
No other objectives in mind other than those of motion and musing...
From my gray haired experiences, I know that there is something always waiting out there for me.
Something beyond my expectations, usually way above my initial perceptions. Something wonderfully surprising, essentially elusive, always inviting.
After those long hours, when finally meeting that junction, where one trail branched to become three, I paused and breathed the crisp mountain air in, as I am sure most of do at that point.
I simply sat, munched some gorp, and eyed my water intake, as my mind cleared a bit more, getting the dust from back here out of its corners. Then snoozing for a few moments, and awakening as one who has sleep problems does after a short time, but usually more refreshed - I looked across and noticed it resting under some branches against a tree.
A map forgotten it was...
A map of this area of course, yet quite worn from folding, handling, with much character evident from long use.
Now came the questions about who had left it there, how long had it rested here. Should I simply leave it in case they return, or carry it further to the next campsite.
But on which trail would that be I wondered. Lot's of options; many plus's and minus's to each.
I decided to bring it home, my intention to later take it back. 
Then as I wrote these words out there, I also carried this little worn map on my return. Another later season journey.
Hoping that maybe on that trek I may meet its rightful owner, and we can then tell one another stories of the journeys this map has been on, and also of its wonderful company too.
For as we know my Dear Friends, maps always become close companions, and are truly never forgotten..... DSD 

"We All Are Elementally About Maps..."

R. Schultheis said, "There are many potential maps of course; physiological, psychological, biochemical, theological, and anthropological."
H. Lodge also wrote of us that, "How can your brain make sense of the staggering, impossible ocean of information that comes our way? The solution is brilliantly simple. Your brain makes maps. And not just a few maps, but maps of everything - thousands of them every second. Physical, social, and intellectual maps streaming in, emotional maps streaming out. To a large extent, you navigate your life from emotional maps". 

"Of Efforts And Foresight..."

I've got to say. when I stand still up there, upon a very high point, while not simply composing these words - but gazing too out upon a sea of summits, pristine valleys, a distant river, way out far below...
I've got to tell you, someone had some real foresight.
Such distant vision.
Many have then made very distinct efforts.
To think that from way back then, they were aware of the probability that such wild places were so vulnerable. That they predicted those many potential pressures, and saw what could foreshadow and happen out there.
I've got to say how amazed and impressed I am at that kind of foresight.
When I ponder over our National Parks, and as we consider what efforts are being made for Nepal, I am so reminded of what others have been able to foresee.
The way they protected these wilds places, for the wild ones too, and rebuilt like now when it was most needed, for the generations to come. The care they had for the future was indicative of so much. What gifts they set aside for us to enjoy, what stewardship they established, which was to predestine taking care of so many and so much in this way.
Those who saw this.
Those who still do this now.
Those who pass this forward for us all. 
I've got to say what foresight they all show.
So let's take a moment and honour them this day..... DSD

"The True Result..."

"The true result of any endeavour, whether on a mountain or in any context... The real measure of success... The true value of the enterprise - lies in the example to others of human motivation and human contact...". J. Hunt

"These People Will Give..."

"A people who climb the ridges and sleep under the stars in high mountain meadows, who enter the forest and scale peaks, who explore glaciers and walk ridges buried deep in snow - these people will give their country some of the indomitable spirit of the mountains...".  W. Douglas

"Adventure Is An Attitude..."

"Adventure isn't just hanging on a rope on the side of a mountain. Adventure is an attitude that we must apply to the day-to-day obstacles of life. Facing new challenges, seizing new opportunities, testing our resources against the unknown and, in the process, discovering our own unique potential...". J. Amatt 

"Do What We Can..."

"Do what we can, with what we have, where we are...". Anon
Trails can be trials, altitude inherently holds adversity, paddling comes with winds and waves, climbing always has its challenges.
We train, we prepare, and we carry all we think that we need in our backpacks: The essentials, the rough weather clothes, that extra piece of gear that just may be required.
Then a much bigger storm hits, then our internal resources are tested further too, and just when we often least may expect to see and feel it within ourselves, out of our pack then comes - character...
You with the adventure personality know what I mean.
You wanderers have felt that collective quality of latent tenacity. That distinctive something that is both seemingly insubstantial, and yet very truly substantial at the same time.
Like those extra layers of fleece, or that additional piece of gear, your character, your nature, is always there waiting to be utilized, practiced with, and applied.
When those real storms hit, then out of your pack it comes forth.
More than only a tendency to carry on.
Rather it is your own intrinsic unique style of going even that much further.
Because we each individually choose to go farther.
Then we will enjoy it even more as we embrace our adventure challenges in this distinctive way.
Character is a deeper element of endurance and commitment. Not often recognized, but do we ever know it when we see and feel it.
Like a polished piece of old worn reliable gear, it is always, always, there waiting for us, and the more use it has, the better it becomes..... DSD  

"Giving Back For Nepal..."

"If not you; then who... If not now; then when..."

I don't recall exactly when I heard these words or from whom they are attributed to, but they have stayed with me. Another quote that has invited an adventure of another kind into my life.

We all come up with ideas and goals and such.

Then we typically make one of those 'lists'.

I have made my share of many of these.

M. Bane wrote: "The List...will take on a life of its own, will change everything it touches, take me places I'd only imagined. It will allow me to reach out and touch...something. Something desirable; something mythical...".

But as JP MacKinnon also wrote: "A life list is, in the end, nothing more than a tool to look back on our lives and consider how we spent our brief moments on Earth. And what if, in those final breaths you realize - I never gave anything back".

We can reflect upon what these two adventurers and authors are inviting us to think about.
For any 'list' always has room, even for a small act of giving back.
Like giving back for Nepal in their time of most need... DSD

"On Our Shared Summit We Say Their Names....."

A few simple words.
Written long ago.
Gently echoing out.
With respect and remembrance...

On the summit we say their names... 

We safely stand up among the clouds, face the sun or moon, often into the wind, close our eyes, and slowly say their names aloud.

We say the names of past fellows who have journeyed the path with us; the guides and wild place teachers who have shared their hard earned wisdom; the close family and friends who still walk the same trails today.

We say the names of those who are now gone from these particular elements; the ones who knew and accepted us for who we are with all our flaws and faults; especially the ones who have challenged us to become something more.

We say the names of those who made us laugh; each one who shared a tear with us; and for those whose courage and resiliency we believe have been an example for us all.

On the summit we say their names...

By practicing an ages old quiet tradition of respect, of acknowledgement, of remembering, of bringing the past back to the present.

An ages old tradition of becoming grateful. Even in the midst of the most difficult times.

And when we are each gone, when we are no longer among the wild places, but have become a part of them instead, we hope to hear our own name said, then carried along out there among the winds, when someone on a summit says them out loud..... DSD

 

My appreciation to Conrad Anker for the above image.

Please follow along with Jake Norton and make a commitment of support for all those of need in Nepal.

 

A Parable On This Day For The Earth: "The Wise Woman's Stone..."

"A wise woman who was travelling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream... The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. 'I've been thinking', he said, 'I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone'...". Anon

A parable of meaning within the context of the gift of a simple stone.

Like the Wise Woman our Mother Earth gives to us all each moment of each hour of each day.

It is then up to us to then ask, and learn, and become, someone who then gives back and passes forward also...

Have a special Earth Day today..... DSD 

 

"The Quietest Voices Calling..."

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."

I. Kant

There are very few of us adventurers who have not had desires and dreams about, and then actual experiences in sharing the wild places with, our family of wild ones out there.

Our experiences become so very special when this happens, when we see them, especially when we share a moment among them, and so we hope though while elusive that this will happen again and again for us.

Most of us cherish these moments almost as none other, they are so unique, so touching. Then we also often want to reflect upon our own lives through totems and symbols of what these special creatures of the earth represent to each of us.

I have forever longed for such connection with the wild ones, the quiet ones, and have been so grateful when it occurs. We admire their courage, their tenacity & endurance, their strength, their energy, the very spirit with which they live their lives out there. Without asking for anything in return they share with us their wisdom, and the mystery & memories of ageless wonders.

Yet we also know, as ones who wander out there, the risks they too face. We have seen the realities and the impacts of changes and clashes of territory, species, and cultures. We feel it deeply when their hurt voices are raised.

The truth of it is, even with their wild ways and powers we may envy, that they are really the most vulnerable ones, these quiet ones who call to us...

Within their callings they point us towards ways of fulfilling our own longings.

We adventure as we can, they must venture always.

We wander wild places to enhance our lives, they journey wild places because it is their lives.

We are an integral part within both of each others history and future.

They are our most precious ones. They are an essential part of our family, can be our teachers, our guides, our healers. They are the most vulnerable ones. They need us, yet we need them just as much, do we not my friends...

What would the wild places be without our family of wild ones?

We often hear their voices when they call in the dark, when dawn begins, and they can be heard too as we stop and listen and still ourselves when we wander out there.

They are the quietest voices, strong but often scared voices, they call as much to us as they do to each other to listen, to hear, to know, to feel...

Strong as they are they are vulnerable too. We know of such vulnerabilities, as we have touched it through our human frailties and with the risks we experience as we adventure. We are as vulnerable as well for in losing these quiet ones, in not hearing their voices, in not taking those paths that might mean some extra efforts on our part - will most certainly result in the loss of experiences shared with them and horizons only dreamed of.

We can do this, we who wander and adventure. We have strengths that can be theirs, and these quiet ones will then in turn share their wisdom with us, which may a saving grace for all.

As we near our shared Day for the Earth, please listen with me for a while as the quietest voices are calling.

They are calling for us...

They are quiet voices reaching out to each of us.

Let us each respond, in our own way, even in some small way, and then go out there again, to see them, to embrace them, because we really are on one and the same path..... DSD 

 

"Look Deeper Into Nature..."

"Our task must be to free ourselves... By widening our circle of perception, to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty. Look deeper into nature and then you will understand everything better...".  A. Einstein

"Quickens Our Own Life..."

"Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way...".  J. Muir

"Earth Teach Me To Remember..."

Below is a reading from the Ute Peoples of North America, as quoted by P.Novak.
A wonderful musing for pondering over adventure, life lessons learned, and experiences remembered, as we approach our shared Day for the Earth.

It could be said that the Ute Peoples were among the first climbers, canyoneers, and rock artists out in these wild lands.

 

"Earth teach me to remember...

Earth teach me stillness

as the grasses are stilled by light.

Earth teach me suffering

as old stones suffer with memory.

Earth teach me humility

as blossoms are humble with beginning.

Earth teach me caring

as the mother who secures her young.

Earth teach me courage

as the tree which stands all alone.

Earth teach me limitation

as the ant which crawls on the ground.

Earth teach me freedom

as the eagle which soars in the sky.

Earth teach me resignation

as the leaves which die in the fall.

Earth teach me regeneration

as the seed which rises in the spring.

Earth teach me forget myself

as the melted snow forgets its life.

Earth teach me kindness

as dry fields weep with rain."

 

Metaphors with such meaning.

Each day a new beginning.

Every day something worth learning.

All adventures within themselves... DSD 

 

"Our Shared Present..."

"I pack up a rucksack and head off into the hills to pitch my tent, gaze at the sky, feel the wind and rain on my face, the rocks and earth under my feet, and bring my life back to the only thing that exists, the present...". C. Townsend

"Intuitive Understandings..."

"An intuitive understanding of our oneness with the life of the earth and the forces of nature, with the rocks and rivers, mountains and deserts, with the other animals and plants... Must be the starting point...". C. Townsend

"Understanding The Mystery..."

"When you love every creature, you will understand the mystery...".  Dostoyevsky

"Kin....."

"In earlier times, people recognized and respected animals as kin, as living relations sharing the earth. Through such kinship, animals were our totems, familiars, and healers long before they were ever domesticated...".  M. Fox

"Laurie's Journey....."

Laurie Normandeau has been a volunteer climber for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center since 2004 and is climbing the highest mountain on each continent for the purpose of raising money for Breast Cancer Research and to honor and give hope to those diagnosed with and battling cancer.
Laurie's "Power Of Seven Project"
Her "Power Of Seven YouTube"
Recently as part of her "Good Karma Trek", Laurie shared a small smile up at Everest Base Camp, with a little Summit Stone.
She wrote: "A special stone journeys to Everest Base Camp. Some may say that a stone is no more than that but, when it has been touched by human hands that have dreams, it becomes elevated to a the status of object with purpose. This stone, hand-painted and sent from Canada to Colorado, traveled across the world and was carried by pocket to a sacred destination, Everest Base Camp. Bringing color and beauty to a wintery, white canvas, it will forever be...more than a stone. It will be the stone that dared to venture. Thanks, Dsd Stones"
I was truly humbled by this and continue to be very inspired by all of Laurie's efforts.....  DSD 

"A Silence That Must Be Heard..."

"Much silence has a mighty noise...". Swahili Proverb

"The quieter you become, the more you can hear...". Ram Dass

There are many voices being raised as we approach the Day of The Earth later this month. 

The one voice...

Often the quietest one, is that which speaks from within such silence.

Nature and our Mother Earth are a silently powerful, yet vulnerable, entity that also must be heard.

Wild place adventures embrace a silence that must be listened closely for too...

Why is our quiet time of musing in nature of such value?

Pythagoras said, "Learn to be silent. Let your mind listen and absorb".

When we wonder in this way, we come closer to discovering our motives; our own personal why's.

When we ponder such, we begin to then create meaning.

These become the very essence for our motivation - for why we go, and for what we do out in the wild places...

Then in understanding what as Nietzsche wrote, "Our greatest experiences, are our quietest moments".

We will then stand up for, and protect, that which we see as important and at the foundation of our intentions and meanings.

All of this provides us with a sense of true purpose.

And that is much to gain from the silence of a quiet moment of musing out there.

A silence that must be heard..... DSD 

 

"That Which Nutures Us All..."

"To the Four Legged Ones, who know wilderness as home and teach us how to live there; To the Winged Ones who see the larger picture from above... To the Plant People, who live the bloom of life constantly; to miraculous Water, who keeps life flowing... To the Stone People, who ground life with ancient wisdom and mountains of beauty; to the Earth, who holds and nurtures us all...".  Stephen Lyman

"Shared Sunsets..."

"Some who have observed bears in the wild speak of them sitting on their haunches at sunset, gazing at it, seemingly lost in meditation." J. Masson

I have always so loved this quote.
It reflects upon so much yet to be understood and the words resonate with such wonderful meanings...
That the Great Furred four legged Ones also share in the beauty and moments when meditating and appreciating a quiet, wonderful sunset, is a metaphor for all we need to know at times..... DSD 

"All Spoke The Same Language..."

"In the very earliest of times, when both people and animals lived together on earth, a person could become an animal if he wanted to, and a animal could become a human being. Sometimes there were people, and sometimes animals, and there was no difference. All spoke the same language...". Author Unknown

"Amidst The Quiet....."

"After a long day of walking in the mountains, the ancients sat alone and in the quiet...". Deng Ming-Dao

In stillness we then rest,
Amidst the quiet, with our breath.
Now calm and vividly remembering,
Every single step of our long journey.

In stillness we then rest,
Amidst the quiet, with our breath.
For a very challenging mountain had been chosen,
Knowing we would then embrace all then wildly given.

In stillness we then rest,
Amidst the quiet, with our breath.
Atop the summit of a further elusive mountain,
Being present for all of that which has happened.

In stillness we then rest,
Amidst the quiet, with our breath.
After a descent as challenging too,
Then so tired, and now safe as well.

In stillness we then rest,
Amidst the quiet, with our breath.
Amazingly welcoming was that mountain,
With such adversity and then those teachings.

In the stillness we then rest,
Amidst the quiet, with our breath.
Having shared in those many precious gifts,
Meditative forever moments nourishing our very being... DSD

Dedicated to those wonderful wanderers who are out there still, Adventuring For Another Reason. 

"A Communication With Nature..."

"I came to believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that our Stone Age forebears possessed not only incredible strength, but also a consciousness and a communication with nature that I could only vaguely comprehend. I'm sure that I could never completely understand this consciousness, but I could come closer, as I spent more time out here...".  J. Turk   

"Greater Than....."

"Why do we believe we are greater than...

Greater than the Bear whose strength is unmatched, the Wolf who understands more than we know.

Greater than the Eagle which views all from above, the Rabbit that quietly watches us pass by.

Why do we believe we are greater than, when we more truly are of the same family...

They are our Brothers, our Sisters, our Elders...". 

GrandFather, Mountain Elder

 

"Nature Reminds Us..."

"Nature is thrilling - its solitude, its peace.
It is spiritual.
Nature reminds us of who we are and how we fit into the web of life...". 
Bev Doolittle 

"Grey Wolf's Gifts....."

"Find your places of power; where you become part of the magic. Return there many times; enjoy your experiences - then give back to those places...". 
"Elusive lessons hold the most to be learned...".
"Remember... The gifts of the four directions. The East is the new day, renewal, innocence, hope, joy, and new beginnings. The South is learning, preparing, strength, sensitivity, goals, and reflection. The West is the unknown, of dreams, meditation, going within, and a place of testing. The North is about wisdom, moderation, teachers, elders, fulfilment, and memories. There is no ending in the journey of the four directions...". 
"You will find more in these mountains than climbing...".
"You will not find all your reasons in these mountains or on those lakes. What you find out there you had within you all along. These places are just a trail towards those lands inside of you that have yet to be travelled...".
"The symbol for what drives you, for the source that moves you, in many cultures - is fire. Your energy, your power, your enthusiasms, are all fire and flame. Read the coals and discover what you need...".
"Collect experiences, not things, for that is what will truly nourish you...".
"Meaning is relative - your choices, where you journey, what mountains you climb, what rivers you paddle, the day you do so, the weather, your energy, solo or with partners - all relative elements that contribute to different meanings. Who is to say which is more meaningful, which has more value...".
"Yes, there are sacred things. A pine cone, a feather, bones, a herb - or even one of your stones. All are sacred because of the deep meaning given to them. Sacred things help you focus; yet consider where their real source of power is...".

Thank you, Wild One, especially for, "Let the mountains and the waters themselves be your guide...".  DSD 

"Whom Was Watching Who..."

"Allow mystery, which is to say to yourself, 'There could be more, there could be things we don't understand'..." B. Lopez
"The Bella Coola Indians believed that someone tried to change all the animals into men but succeeded in making human only the eyes of the wolf." B. Lopez
"If you could be an animal, what animal would you be? Answering that question creates a powerful personal metaphor." Grey Wolf
I once was able to watch a grey wolf at play when out on an adventure.
This animal was a mystery in motion to me.
At that time I knew so little about them, and yet found myself so very impressed by its grace of movement and its playful behavior.
When it finally looked over in my direction and met my gaze, there was a moment there, where I wondered whom was really watching who..... DSD 

"Then It Becomes Magic....."

"If I am hiking along a ridge with my mind somewhere else, then the rocks and grasses between my feet are just rocks and grasses. But if I am mindful, curious, and observant enough to stoop down and pick up one stone because it has an unusual shape, then it becomes magic, not just for me but for everyone around me... If I go one step further and grind up some pigments to make ochre dyes, paint the stone lovingly, and set it on the mantle as a reminder of this hike, then the magic has become a prayer for the survival of my tribe...".  J. Turk

"Keepers, Holders, And Bearers..."

Ancient legends tell of these stories, and the Elders of many lands speak to their truth...
At way points within all our histories, some of us - maybe even in past lives so the stories say, became the holders, the Keepers of the Stones.
These were, and still are, positions of responsibility and respect. Sacred stones were often those needed for flint and fire. Many other such stones held images upon them of great value to the persons and their group, for the stories they held within. Still other stones were themselves of singular importance for memory & meaning, considering who and where and when they were discovered. Thus they became so very cherished by their holders.
We each are Keepers of such memorable stones in our adventuring lives...
As we each wander, we also become what is now reflected in and represented by, the more current meaning of these legends - as the bearers of the stories themselves that all such 'stone' experiences represents...
We are all Keepers, Holders, and Bearers, my Friends... DSD

Dedicated this adventure day to those wonderful 'Partners In Placing' who share in the smiles all along the way. 

"The Most Beautiful Stones..."

"The most beautiful stones...
Have been tossed by the wind,
And washed by the waves,
And polished to brilliance,
By life's strongest storms...". Anon