"The Fifth Season....."

One trail, only a single small path it is, subtly leading into the trees, up from the valley floor, off deep into a northern canyon... One trail, easily accessible enough, and reasonably available for wandering during all four of our seasons. So each season I have visited there, with many reasons for heading up that little trail... Almost always on my own, in times needed for solitude, contemplation, and silence. Although with the overgrown trailhead it has, you would never really expect it to be there, as each season over the years has blanketed it so with even more foliage. It's almost as if the terrain itself wants to be elusive, and quiet, and set away from everything else... In winter the snow is deep there but navigable, the spring runoff is fast under the warming sun, summer can have a coolness too even amidst the hottest days, and fall in there is special as well with the changing colors and rustling of winds among leaves. While this little long trail recreates its' self with each season, it almost never seems really that different in other ways. Seasons may change there, but time slows too and becomes very still in those moments. Maybe that is why I wander there often, to slow my own life down, to then see, and feel, and know there are things in the wilds that have meanings deeper than the passage of a clock or calendar... That is how I was to discover, so long ago, that there is a fifth season out there too. A hidden season, a very elusive season, one only written or whispered about in those quiet special ways... This is the season that is just past winter, spring, summer, and fall. A fifth season. A part of and yet just beyond the other four. It is the time of stillness, of gentle first and last light, of a calming and a clarity. A season for emotions too that crystallize certain meanings, for remembrances of why we are both here and out there. A season that promotes quiet and contemplation. It allows understandings for whatever we each are seeking. It is especially a season of spirit. For all those ephemeral things that come and go, live and grow, change and remain familiar, as every other season does in its' own way. As adventurers, we develop an awareness of this season, the many of us who wander so, as it matters not really about the activity, time, or even the place out there, but then becomes so much more... It is a season of dawnings and sunsets within every moment, a season of meanings and memory, for all the mysteries and wonder. A fifth season it is, waiting so patiently to embrace every one of us with all its' gifts..... DSD

Appreciation as well to my fellow Adventurers for those two images of stillness and motion above.

"Adventure Tenacity..."

"It is mainly tenacity that helps you operate closer to your maximum - tenacity of purpose regardless of your talents or intelligence or a lot of other things. You can make up for almost anything if you are steadfast and keep going in a certain direction steadily for a long time." R. Robbins

Imagine the experience that was speaking out for us in this way... DSD

"What Is It...."

We ponder, wonder, then ask of the elements: Are those northern lights, or might they be the muses dancing with each other. Is that an old tree, or maybe it is an ancient one who has seen and endured more than we ever will know. Is that a northern lake, or is it a place of reflections of the wild places and of ourselves. This is a simple summit we think, yet it can too be a place of such secrets, elusive treasures from both without and within... Is that a canyon we see, or cathedrals of sand and stone, of ageless history, shadows and wonder. This mist before us is just moisture in the air we ask, or maybe this is a veil that may hide away more than terrain from our awareness... Over there is an approaching storm, and yet very likely too a symphony of sound and light and energy. That appears to be a rainbow, yet we all have felt the majesty and symbolism of this too. That looks like a river that is passing by, or more so like a personal metaphor for the journey we are all on... Is that an island we are about to land our kayak on, or is it terrain so beautiful as to seem to have never been touched by time. Is this just about an outdoor activity, or more importantly, very significantly, more so about who we are as adventurers out there... Are these simple adventures we set out upon, or are they journeys, means to wander, among paths for dreams and hope and fulfillment's, for the moments and mysteries and memories we create... What it is, it seems... is much more than what it may first appear..... DSD

My sincere appreciation to those Wandering Artists who created the above amazing images.

"One Foot In Front Of Another..."

I am very much reminded this day of...

"I think that one of the lessons of climbing is perseverance, having a vision and continuing on in spite of obstacles, putting one foot in front of another steadily until you get to your goal. Learning that lesson in mountaineering helps you apply it to all other activities." A. Blum

Further truths from the wild places... DSD

Thanks as well my Friend for the Alaska image.

"Memorable Whisperings..."

Quietly resounding, powerfully yet softly, through the tall trees, touching our faces... Quietly rewarding, of momentum and energy, brushed by the elements, painting each landscape... Quietly telling, gently whispering, of both warmth and our memories, always so giving... Unseen yet present, quietly recalling, of emotions and connections, gentle breezes of remembrance... DSD

Dedicated to Alan Arnette and his Seven Summits Climb for Alzheimer's -"Memories Are Everything".

"Wondering If....."

"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

Oh, the wonders when we finally perceive what we eventually all see out in the wild places... Great to hear your season of adventures is going so well Andra... DSD

"Go Where The Energy Is..."

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, 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

Thank you Carol, for the inspiring images above of the energy within those wonderful storms.

"A Normal Part Of..."

"You have to fail occasionally... sometimes you miss by a mile, and still there will be lessons to learn... And sometimes you have stupid ideas... Some you just lose... It teaches humility. If the problems we set for ourselves are not to be trivial, failure is a normal part of mountaineering...". V. Saunders

Great catch in belay and image. Good that we are all getting back up there too... DSD

"Beyond....."

Right from the my very first step on that trail, I was beginning to see, how today would be an adventure for going beyond... Beyond the end of this trail, for it was only marked some of the way on this map. Further than the far end of the lake upon which I had heard a faint path continued to meander from there. I could see in the distance too, a kind of apex of water, rock, and trees that then met just up above. Beyond my lake, past the remnants of this trail, above that apex, were then the fast flowing waters of a mountain stream. It would surely fill even more with the rising heat of the day. Yet I would journey beyond it too, and wander close to its' smaller headwaters up among the remaining snow up there. Then beyond these fields of crystal, covered with trails of little fallen stones, up before me was the rock of a blue mountain. To day it felt I was seeking out something very much beyond this too; pushing some skills past certain limits, personal perceptions a bit further, and testing my endurance beyond what my age say it should be. Eventually I was moving across and up past those ridgelines, and then finally, wonderfully, having attained this small summit, I now felt closer to those elemental sources of my seekings. There I found many feelings very much beyond what I had expected... That happens to many of us up there, doesn't it my Friends. As I quietly stood there at the edge of the sky and stone, wind and clouds, my gaze looked out further and beyond - very much beyond what was now just before me..... DSD

Thanks S.B. for sharing these images.

"Upon A Summit By Oneself..."

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

Just feeling quite grateful on this weekend of appreciation. Thanks to our Dolomite wanderers for the above image.

"Adventure Aspirations..."

"What we earnestly aspire to be, that in some sense we are". A. Jamson

"To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but what he aspires to...". K. Gibran

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Dear Friends... DSD

Thanks Grant for the inspiring image.

"A Silken Summit..."

What a silken summit day it was... During a long flowing summer season of adventure's. Such soft early dawn light; glistening dew in the calm valley. The gentle breezes, brushing across our faces and smiles. The unusually warm temperatures up there so welcoming. A blending of effort and challenges as well, not too much, nor too far they were. The touch of that fleece vest I put on, such a familiar comforting old friend, one that has shared much out there with me. The feelings inside were a reflection of the warmth and touch of those rocks up there, and the close emotions we had for this welcoming elusive peak. To blend and connect with a mountain in this way, is to know something more, is another way of embracement, another of the elements to be discovered in our wild and high places. There was nothing barren or harsh about it at all. What a silken summit day it all was..... DSD

Much gratitude to our fellow wanderers for the above magic images.

"Mount Miles & Krowicki Peak..."

"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

Please have a visit today Dear Friends, on our fellow adventurer Andrew Nugara's site linked below. It is the story of the climbs and the naming of Mount Miles & Krowicki Peak. Andrew was 'Adventuring for Another Reason', for his best buddy Miles... He took the images above and wrote that, "I have come to respect and admire Miles in ways I cannot effectively put into words so I will refrain from trying and offer this tribute in place of." His ascents and naming of these two peaks speaks many volumes... DSD

"Listen... Listen to the songs of the mountains, the songs of the forests and the river... Then listen more closely, for you may see that it is you that has been singing." Grandfather, Mountain Elder

http://www.freewebtown.com/anugara/miles.html

"How Far....."

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go...". TS Eliot

Oh, the relative nature of it all within adventures; the inherent individuality this reflects. Our own choices, our own risks. Our personal distances, our internal heights and depths. How far we ask ourselves - yet once again, we don't know, of we don't go... DSD

Dedicated to those WCT hardy adventurers who wandered this amazing trail this past season. Especially those who 'Adventured For Another Reason...'.

Appreciate the image my Friends.

"To Beach Scribe..."

Hiking on such secluded beaches, writing so many ponderings in the sand. Words about wild places we have experienced, notes for ourselves about being here, and then where we now want to journey... Stories in the sand of who it is we each want to become in those moments. All ways to beach scribe, to journal in such a wonderful way... Another means for envisioning our adventures, while gazing out upon both the waves and such sandy musings in time. Now while standing very still, and looking out over oceans of dreams and desires, seeing our scribblings once more in the sand, being caressed and moved by the winds gentle breezes. These ephemeral ponderings become hopes for our wanderings yet to come. Now we are listening more closely, to the murmurs of the waves, for they also respond to our words and their echoes. Long coastal beach hiking adventures, with sandy words that now become paths and trails, they speak aloud of the potential and promises we feel, so very deep in our hearts out there..... DSD

"Strange, Complex, Inexplicable..."

"Songs, poems, literature, walking in the woods,evoke certain feelings...Sometimes they are strange, complex, inexplicable... often beyond comprehension." J. Masson

As adventurers we often touch upon the many connections between the wild places and the subtle poetry of it all. We have all experienced those moments of nexus, those trailheads and crossing points, that blending of feelings and knowings, from our wanderings deep within nature... Strange, yet so engaging they are. Complex, but so full of clarity they become. Inexplicable, yet so much a part of it all, and of us, as to feel that we have found something again that was never really lost... Only beyond comprehension until we recognize our ancient selves out there and what may be possible too... Then these elusive nexus become real, now a part of us again, and this potent inspiration transforms into motion and action, as we move forward, upward, onward, and even more inward... For a sense of this today, for a feeling of such poetry in motion, for some visual music of potential and wonder - take a few moments and enjoy under the 'Inspiration Link' section to the right: "Ueli Steck Going Home". The motivation and music there stirs the blood, brings a sense of wonder, and maybe even a tear to our eye as a fellow adventurer shares with us even more about what is inexplicably possible..... DSD

My appreciation to our fellow far place wanderers for the above images.

"Pathways Home..."

Pathways of wonder and feelings, trails of beauty and stone... Canyons and rivers made up of dreams, mountains and forests composed of emotions... Stairways to such mystery and wonder, pathways of feelings to wander... All going home... DSD
Composed while paddling my sea kayak, heading back from a special wild place, leaving 'home' to return home once more... This was such a wonderful adventure, amidst a season of challenges out there, and for dedications as well for those who 'Adventure for Another Reason'...
My gratitude for the above image from some wonderful water people who also so enjoy their own distant island longings...

"Distant Island Longings..."

Have we not all gazed longingly... At a mountain summit, a very deep canyon, or especially at a distant coastal island... With all the wonderings and wantings that go along with that. There was a time when such longings over some select islands were very powerful for me. I had viewed these deserted distant islands from a shoreline, during channel crossings, even by air photos, and out on other paddle trips - but had not yet ventured out to visit and touch them... They seemed just beyond my reach back then, a bit further than my skills and preparations would take me. The winds out in that particular wild place can have a mind to take anyone way off course, or even to risk much more than one might have intended when launching out. I so much wanted to belong as one of those adventurers who had journeyed among those distant islands, shared in their secrets, enjoying their sunsets and campfires. I remember a mentor saying in his quiet voice that to really belong to something, you needed to find a way to 'be your longings'... This musing has evolved to mean many things and holds certain powerful truths deep within it... It allowed me to create the ways to eventually, finally, paddle through and wander over those elusive islands. Is there a distant island, possibly an elusive summit, maybe a dark and deep canyon, that has captured your own muse my Friends... Time to create the ways to 'be your own longings' Dear Finders... And time for me to head out paddling once more as well... DSD

Thank you David.......

"The Deepest Breaths..."

The deepest breaths, in these moments, produce crystal memories of such meaning. The gasps and smiles, quite full of mystery, so much beauty for us to ponder. The deepest breaths, held the longest when, we find ourselves, among such wonders... Such deep breathing, when we push so hard, to achieve adventure desires, among our elusive choices. The deepest of breaths, within those last summit steps, we experience intensely, and not just upon mountains... The endurance of passions, require the deepest of breaths, for wild journeys out there, then on paths as well back here... The very deepest of breaths, taking in all about us, inhaling in what we are, inspiring who we may become... DSD

Dedicated this season to those adventurers who have followed their dreams while 'Adventuring For Another Reason', both this last season, and for those about to step out now...

My gratitude to our wild place friends who captured the above images while on their own adventure journeys.

"Descending Thoughts..."

"When you come back down, you begin to think about what you did... Then you start to think: If I could do that, I can do anything. But if we had turned our backs at the bottom and never gone up, we would never have learned that lesson." J. Amatt

Ascent and descent, perceptions from both. Lessons from up there, gifts for ourselves, to bring back and share... DSD

Dedicated to those wonderful wanderers who have been 'Adventuring For Another Reason' this last summer season. My thanks to our high place friends for the above image as well.