Finding Place
I climb up the quickly ascending ridge, my legs and pulse calling out for stops along the way. I enjoy the opportunity of each stop to survey my surroundings. Most often the expansive views catch my attention, other times the tiny details draw me in.
The valley is covered in a slightly tattered blanket of snow. The recent weeks have been filled with a warming and cooling trend, a pattern that has compacted some of our snow, and all together freed some southern slopes, such as the one I was currently climbing. The warmth of the day eats away at the edge of the snow banks. The patches of open ground expanding quickly, but quietly. As if they are gently coaxing spring out of her slumber, being alert to not make too much noise as winter slowly drifts to sleep, lest he be roused in a moment of flurry before relinquishing his shift.
After many snow shoeing excursions, the novelty of walking on dirt is exciting, and freeing. I carry my snow shoes instead of wearing them. They become a somewhat useful walking/balancing stick as I traverse the steep hillside. I am watching the ground as I climb, and the smallest thing grabs my attention and halts me in my tracks. My snowshoes hold my weight as I lean forward to get a better look. There in front of me is a wee little red seedling, bursting forth from its seed. My heart flutters with excitement, and a smile spreads across my face. Indeed one of the first signs that spring is rousing. All in one moment the joy of life is playing itself out in front of me, and yet I am keenly aware that we will most likely have many more nights of very cold weather, which might just be the undoing of this little soul. The ebb and flow of life is so simply played out in nature.
There is no regret in nature. Everything is part of the greater rhythm. There is not life without death. And so I find myself cheering on this little seed. “Hang in there my little friend! Spring will be here in the blink of an eye.” Within one season these annual plants will live a life filled with beauty and passion. A whole lifetime, in just a blink of our own. And ours, less than a blink in the timeline of Earth.
I pause once more, this time to watch a herd of Mule Deer climbing the hill to my right. They move with ease up the slope, embodying the alertness of a prey animal, but the knowledge that their athleticism far exceeds mine. With keen awareness they sense me on many levels. No doubt they hear my heart, feel my breath, and can smell me miles away. It’s a funny thing, that within the evolution of human society, it has become an admirable trait to distance ones self from our animal nature as much as possible. This has separated us on many levels from the nature around us, and with that has deadened our senses on so many levels. As I moved from the realms of society, and explored nature through long distance hiking, I found senses that had been forgotten, starting to stir again. Thankfully I was raised in a household that nurtured my soul connection with nature more than many are allowed in our modern society, so perhaps I did not have as far of a leap to make. No matter how separated from nature we may have become, she will always be there to welcome us back into her womb to heal.
Cresting the hill I find myself standing before a bathtub sized boulder, a natural alter, looking out over the valley in silent contemplation of the passing of life. What had this rock witnessed sitting here in the time since it immerged from the dirt? Leaning my snowshoes up against it, I walk around and sit down in the middle of the rock. The Methow Valley is laid out before me, a spectacular scene.
The scale of the landscape embracing the valley has a remarkable way of dwarfing any human imprint. In this corner of the world, nature still commands the attention of all. While some still try to shelter themselves from the unknown forces that nature holds, those who live here can not help but become entangled with the soul of the land. This is why my soul has been called back here. Even the human development laced throughout the valley feels as if it is intertwined with nature.
My eyes float across the scene, the rawness of the mountains at the head of the valley, great jagged sentinels, always reminding us that we are held in the embrace of the North Cascade Mountains. Down the valley the jagged peaks become interspersed with tall rolling hills. An outcropping of rock here and there hinting at their one time grand status. The river below snaking through the heart of the valley, shedding its skin of deciduous trees along select stretches of wide valley floor.
It becomes clear from my post atop the hill, that there is no way that we can be separate from nature. Just like the images of earth from space, I get a greater view of my home. I can see that nature still permeates all things, especially in this magical place. Humans are simply one piece of a greater whole. I send out a prayer for the human race to remember what we are, and what we come from. With just a few changes we can start to heal ourselves, and our Earth together.
The Soul of the North Cascades
Bernie and I went to Big Valley to go snowshoeing on Thursday.
This is one of the few groomed multi use trails in the valley.
The groomed trail was so nice and compact that it was easy to walk on in just my boots.
And then at other times we made our own trail by snowshoe.
We made a track down to the Methow River.
We actually used to live across from Big Valley when we lived in Winthrop before.
We would cross the river by foot, and explore the trails that snake their way through
Big Valley.
It was good to visit this area again.
We enjoyed many expansive views from the large open fields.
See, here we are in BIG Valley.
(Bernie is showing us how big)
~
I have been practicing writing most mornings lately.
Below is a piece that I wrote that I am pondering sending into our
local weekly newspaper, just for the heck of it.
I am enjoying writing, and I look forward to improving on it.
Bernie and I just moved back to the Methow Valley after 3 years of exploring our country through the beauty of the Aleutian Islands in 2008, the Pacific Crest Trail in 2009 and the Appalachian Trail in 2010. Over the last three years the valley has been in the back of my mind and deep within my heart. We had only lived in Winthrop two and a half years during our previous stay from 2005 to 2007, but there is something so special about this area that it has felt like home from that first moment.
When we were pondering a place to move to for 2011, I kept trying to convince myself to try another part of the country, to experience something new and fresh. We visited the Southwest, and were in awe of the raw beauty that red rock country holds. And then we talked about the Oregon coast, to experience the wild call of the open ocean. The west still holds many places filled with the pureness of nature, and each of them would be spectacular to explore. But the more that I thought about exploring a new area, the more I felt the call of the Methow Valley.
In our travels through the United States, this area is still one of the most beautiful I have experienced. Being nestled in the North Cascade Mountains provides a setting that is nourishing for mind, body and soul. How can one not be moved by nature here in this place that is still so saturated by it. The sheer majesty of the North Cascades provides a picturesque backdrop to our little communities. Right in our backyard we have an almost endless playground to go explore, and the inhabitants of the valley make sure to take advantage of this. I am being reminded each day of the amazing bounty of outdoor recreation opportunities that this perfect location grants us. We are exploring on almost a daily basis by snowshoe, and the spring and summer months call to me with their endless trails that will be revealed as the snow slowly retreats higher and higher in the mountains.
The community that exists in the Valley was another strong draw to return to this area. Sadly there seems to be fewer true communities in our nation with each passing moment. I feel that small towns are one of the few hopes left for whole communities to exist. And the Methow Valley holds one of the kindest and loving group of people I have had the honor to experience. When living here it feels as if you are part of one large family, and yes, like any family we have our small upsets with each other. But more often I see everyone holding out their hand, asking how they can help each other, or simply being there with some kind words. During difficult times I think a community is measured by its kindness rather than its monetary gain, and with that I see the Methow Valley’s great riches.
And so after trying to ignore the melody of this area, it has called me back. I am excited to once again be an instrument in the great orchestra of the Methow Valley. We have been welcomed back with the warm embrace of the community, and the joyous beauty of nature. Our time here will never be measured by the turning of a calendar, but by the experiences that build ones mind, body and soul.
A little treasure of nature that I found on our trek through Big Valley.
Surrounded by Beauty
This post needs very few words other than to say I had forgotten
exactly how much beauty was here in the Valley.
It feels good to be back.
As you can tell it was a warmer day!
Bernie decided to do Polar Bear Sledding?
What would shirtless sledding be called exactly?
The sunshine felt good.
And it almost felt spring like.
And then it snowed the next day, haha!
All of these pictures (except the one of Bernie sledding) were taken
by Bernie. He has some great pictures of our wildlife neighbors at his blog
Sledding!!
I have not been sledding in forever,
so we decided to go have fun with our stylish sled.
We headed up to the Patterson Mountain Trail.
WooHoo!!
Staying forward facing was a challenge at times,
but it was fun to see the world backwards too!
Laying down like this is a great way to get snow in your shirt!
That’s a rush!
It was a blast, we both laughed and hooted all the way down.
We took turns on the sled,
and who ever was taking pictures was sure to be fast on their feet,
in case the sled decided to take a new course.
Oooh! Here comes a big bump!
(Look at that concern!)
Hey these bumps are fun!
(Oooo!)
Weeee!!!
(Grin!)
I got called away from sledding for a quick interview/chat
up at Sun Mountain Lodge (where I used to work).
And so Bernie took the opportunity to go for a showshoe trek from
where we were sledding, to the lodge.
He took these pictures along the way.
Above, Sun Mountain Lodge.
And Patterson Lake,
Frozen over.
Snowshoeing Between Worlds
We have been getting outside and snowshoeing almost every day since we have been here.
It is so nice to have easy access to the outdoors again!
Bellingham is not a bad town to be in, but its just that, a town.
We had to drive a minimum of 45 minutes to get to any kind of trail,
and most of them were much further than that.
Now within 10 to 30 minutes we have an amazing selection of all kinds of places to
explore the outdoors!
Yesterday was foggy, but we decided to take the camera with just for the heck of it.
I am glad we did.
It was beautiful, the fog had such a magical feeling.
I just loved the two ponderosa pines in the above photo.
As the fog drifted through the cool air of night it frosted the trees in a beautiful
crystal coating.
It was wonderful to sit and reflect upon them,
to study their elegant and regal stature.
To feel their patience and peace.
When I came across this stand of grass I was not sure the picture would be able to capture what
I was seeing and feeling.
To my delight when we uploaded the photos there it was.
The elegance of last years plants is amazing.
These grasses stood above the snow all around us.
Many of the seed heads had collected the same crystal frosting as the trees during the night.
Each one looked like someone had sat down and created a crystalline masterpiece upon it.
And perhaps someone did.
Did the frost faeries come out at night and spend hours weaving a fine basket
on the end of each grass stalk?
Blue skies peeked at us from time to time.
Teasing, playing, taunting us to come higher.
Sunlight played on the hills above us.
I stopped often to admire the beauty and grace of the ponderosas.
What majestic trees they are, and I missed them!
They looked beautiful in their cloaks of crystal.
I am amazed by the detail of each ice crystal.
There is a whole world in each one.
I had been studying these needles up close and had to take a little taste.
Mmmm!
And what better way to relax than to just plop down in a snow recliner?
It was a magic outing spent in the fog.
It truly felt like we were between worlds.
When we would stop there was an amazing silence,
broken only by the call of the birds.
(And once in a while someone hammering at a house down the hill)
We are home in Winthrop!
Welcome to our new little home in Winthrop Washington!
We packed up our cars (to the brim!) and headed over the mountains on Saturday.
We arrived here at about 4:30pm and started to unload the cars right away.
We had most of our stuff unloaded and unpacked by the end of the night.
We are settled into our new little home quite nicely!
We were welcomed into our home by a couple lovely little mule deer that were
lounging in our yard.
They come and go, what lovely yard decorations they make!
What a world of difference from the West Side of the Mountains!
Sunday we woke up to a beautifully bright day,
the snow glittered in the sunlight!
We wasted no time, we put on our snow gear,
grabbed our snowshoes and headed out.
How wonderful it is to only have to drive 15 minutes to have access to outdoor activities!
We would have to drive MUCH longer to have access to anything nearly as nice as these views
when we are on the west side!
In the picture above is Sun Mountain Lodge framed by the mountains.
This is where I used to work when we lived in Winthrop before.
I always had a spectacular view from the restaurant I worked at there.
The trail we took was the Patterson Mountain route.
It’s a beautiful winding trail that snakes up to the top of a hill with an amazing view
of the valley in all directions.
I just Love Snow Shoeing! Its such a peaceful way to enjoy the snow.
And a great workout too!
Bernie celebrating being in Winthrop again!
How can you beat a town set in the mountains like this?
Look at those views!
The Methow Valley is just amazing.
Home is always where the heart is, and so I feel at home almost everywhere we go,
but I have to say that Winthrop is my favorite home.
It just feels so comfortable!
It was nice to just stand and reflect on the beauty of the Valley.
My mind, body and soul are happy to be back here!
We had fun playing in the snow,
and even had a little snow ball fight.
It is so different being back in snow country!
Everything feels so different.
Today is a cloudy day, but its still brighter than the west side,
because the sunlight that does make it through reflects off of everything.
Bernie is getting to know the plant life again.
Here he is letting the Ponderosa Pine tree know he is happy to see them again.
Today is a day of job searching, and some basic errands around town.
Its nice to be back home here in the Methow Valley!
I look forward to sharing even more pictures of the beauty that surrounds us here!
We do not have internet at our home at this point,
and so we will make our way down to the Library to connect with the online world.
This is a nice opportunity for us to take a little break and explore some other aspects of
what we love to do.
Arches National Park
After another (somewhat chilly) evening under the stars,
we made our way to Arches National Park.
Taking pictures in Arches is all about what time of day you are in
what part of the park.
Because of this we missed some of the premium photo opportunities.
But we enjoyed exploring the beauty of this area that has so many arches!
We took a hike along Park Avenue,
with its amazing views of many formations on all sides.
I even got to see some tiny shrimp swimming around in little pools of water.
Pretty amazing!
We drove to the end of the road and went for a hike along
the Devils Garden Trail. What an amazing collection of arches!
Landscape Arch (the first photo) is an amazingly delicate piece of rock,
floating above the ground.
It lost a big chunk of the rock several years ago,
showing the temporary nature of all things.
Another arch near by completely collapsed earlier in 2010.
Nature in motion.
Look at how clear the air was for us!
Everything just popped,
The Colours,
The Texture,
The Layers,
The Feeling!
From this perspective balanced rock truely looks amazing.
It looks as if the constant tug of gravity would pull it down at any time.
And some day it will.
But when you walk around the back side of it, you see that it is a bit of
an optical illusion.
The rock has more of a base than it appears,
it will hold its place for a while longer.
Eventually it will be called too strongly by the grounds loving embrace,
and it will tumble down, to become one with the dirt that surrounds it.
I think my little car enjoyed its adventure through the Southwest!
It got to go explore the dirt roads.
Enjoyed the views along the way.
Camped with us each night,
and sometimes even kept us a little warmer on those really chilly nights
(as we curled up in the front seats)
Got us to each place in comfort.
What could be a better experience for a little car?
We even spent the night camping in the backcountry of Arches.
We found an amazing spot surrounded by red rock.
After setting up camp I climbed up some of the slick rock,
a beautiful slopping rock, easy to climb up.
And I sat there,
admiring the beauty of the evening light reflecting off the red rock.
I returned to this spot in the morning to watch the morning light move across the rock.
It was amazing to see how different, yet similar it was.
After our adventure through Arches we spent a day
doing the tourist thing in Moab.
I bought a couple of books that turned out to be very inspiring to me.
We looked at beautiful pieces of art.
We caught up with the internet world at the Library.
And then we headed out of town, to search for our evening camp spot.
The arch above was one on the side of the road,
south of Moab.
Each arch holds so much beauty!
Canyonlands ~ Island in the Sky
Ok, I am obviously failing at keeping up with blog posts.
Part of the reason is that we are getting ready to move!
Hopefully by the end of this week we will be driving over the North Cascades,
back to our home in Winthrop Washington!
We lived there from 2005 to 2007, and I LOVED it there.
It has called me back ever since we left, and now I am returning home.
But for now I continue my posts on our Southwest trip.
We drove in the north entrance of Canyonlands,
heading toward Island in the Sky.
We again stopped at the visitors center and watched the video on this park.
Then after talking to the rangers for a little bit, getting a feel for places
that we could camp that evening, we headed out to do the viewpoints.
I was feeling a little sluggish that day,
my body did not feel like a long hike.
So we did a short hike to the upheaval dome area.
Then we drove to the Green River Overlook,
and enjoyed sitting at the edge of the cliff looking out over the view.
It was peaceful to simply sit, and witness Nature.
Looking out across this vastness it was amazing to reflect on the
fact that water had created all of this.
It is a slow process from our perspective,
but in the lifetime of the earth it is an ever flowing process.
The earth shows us that “aging” is a graceful process,
one in which to embrace every line,
every contour,
every experience!
We then drove to the Grand View Point Overlook.
There is a lovely trail here that we walked down a little bit and found
a over hanging rock to relax by.
We took books with the intention of simply being in this space for a while.
As soon as we sat down I felt the rocks pulling me down,
gently into their embrace.
My eyes grew heavy and I did not fight it.
I laid down embracing the rocks,
feeling completely comfortable on their warm surface.
I slept.
I dreamed.
I wish I could remember the dreams.
Isn’t it cute how I cross my feet while I sleep?
haha, I just love that picture!
As I met Mother Nature in Dream Land,
Bernie enjoyed Being with Nature.
He Read.
He Witnessed.
He took pictures of me sleeping.
It was an easy place to Be Natural.
As the sun drifted lower in the sky,
we made our way back down the road and onto BLM land to spend the night.
It was a great day of resting with nature.
My mind, body and soul were re-charged, and I was ready for hikes again!
Capitol Reef National Park
I am finally back to my blog after the holidays.
I sat down with the intention to do a post several times,
and always found myself pulled away or distracted by something else.
And so now I return to posts about our trip to the southwest this fall.
We explored Capitol Reef on Bernie’s Birthday, Halloween.
On our way from Bryce to Capitol Reef we drove through Escalante National Monument,
What a spectacular, vast, moving stretch of land this is!
There is simply so much there that we decided it needed to be a whole trip in itself.
So we will return to Escalante in the future to absorb its immense beauty.
Steadily my little car climbed this hill.
We stopped at a view-point to enjoy the overlook of just a bit of Escalante’s beauty.
I love that even while seeing our path before us on a road map,
Nature still holds surprises for us around each turn.
I truely did not know we would be going as high as we did.
It had been quite cold, and as you can tell at the higher elevations some
snow even fell.
We ran into a couple icy spots on the road. This was the first main one.
I have to say we were both a bit nervous of the icy road with the downward
sloping turn. Neither of us knew how my new car would deal with it,
and perhaps because it was a new car we wavered.
Yes, it was fear, most likely completely unwarranted.
We pulled off the side of the road for just a little bit, we were not sure what was up ahead,
was it worse? Perhaps it would warm a bit?
After enjoying the view for a bit and hashing over our hesitation, we decided
that we were being too cautious. Of course if we were aware and just felt our way along the ice,
we would be fine!
And so we did, we moved forth, dissolving the fear that was holding us back.
Yay little car! You will be fine!
And so we all were.
Capitol Reef is a unique area.
It is called the waterpocket fold. A giant buckle in the Earths crust.
This has then been eroded in different ways to reveal the formations that are present today.
We stopped at the visitors center and watched a video about the park.
On our trip I really enjoyed the video at each park, they are well done,
and give you a better over all perspective on the park.
After learning a bit about the history of the site that the visitors center was on
(which I will talk about more below)
We drove to the end of the scenic drive.
This is a fun road that is paved part of the way, and then toward the end it turns to dirt,
and at the very end you are actually driving through a wash.
You are not allowed to go to the end if it is raining anywhere in the area because of flash floods.
At the end of the road there are a couple of trail heads.
We took the trail that went toward Golden Throne.
Shortly up the trail we peeled off layers that were quickly growing too warm
in the sunshine and physical movement.
I had my moccasins and Native American flute in my hands.
With my layers of clothes I shed my broiling hot running shoes and slipped on my soft moccasins.
We stashed our layers behind a rock and continued on.
The trail meandered through beautiful shades of red and yellow.
We zigged and zagged in and out of little washes
as we contoured the hillside.
We reached the top with a spectacular view of Golden Throne in one direction,
and groupings of mountains in the distance the other.
It was an inspiring place to sit and play my flute.
Its song echoed off the rock around us.
A wash below sang with me as the notes trickled down into its its corners and crack,
bouncing off a rock here, tumbling along the sand there.
And when the music tired of wandering the path that water followed down the valley it
would spring free and somersault among the sandstone,
bouncing ever higher on the energy of the landscape.
On the way back down we came to a part of the trail that
traveled along the bottom of a large cliff wall.
Any sound that was made bounced off it like a Parkour artist.
We stopped so I could play with my flute,
bantering with the spirits of the wall.
My flute sang, the wall spit it back.
I played more notes, and the rock spirits tossed them back, like a child tossing stones in a pond.
Every once in a while they would miss a note that got lodged in a crack.
I wonder if some day as the rains wear away the rock if one of those notes will become dislodged,
and trickle down the valley.
Will someone hear it?
Bernie joined in once in a while with his voice.
When we had finished playing with the rock spirits we continued back down the path to the car.
We returned to the valley that the visitors center was in.
This part of the valley used to be called Fruita.
It was a small community that lived in the valley and raised fruit trees.
What a beautiful place to call home!
There are still some of the old orchards, and even a house and school building.
They keep the orchards going as part of the historic site.
Our last stop was at a Petroglyph wall.
I had seen this once before on a brief stop in the park,
but I had forgotten all about it.
It is truely amazing to see the artwork of people who really no longer exist.
Our modern society has almost completely erased all civilizations that lived as our
Native American ancestors did.
I would love to be able to pop back in time, and see the community of the people who
filled this wall with their perspective on their world.
I would love to see how they were completely in tune with nature,
living with her instead of trying to dominate her.
So it is with their beautiful creations that we bid farewell to Capitol Reef National Park.
Zion National Park ~ Front Country
So after our 4 night cross park hike, we drove to St. George Utah,
and bought me new shoes, and loaded up on groceries.
After spending the night next to the river in a free “campground” we made
our way to the main entrance of Zion.
I wanted to do the “tourist” version of Zion also.
So we parked at the visitors center and jumped on their free shuttle.
We stopped first at the Zion Human History Museum.
It talked of the Native Americans, and then the White settlers that came through.
(What an AMAZING place to have a homestead!)
I can’t help but dream about what an area used to look like 100, 200 or 300 years ago.
What did it look like before White man got here?
My heart and soul wants to see it as it was when the Native Americans lived here.
I want to be immersed in it before there were roads, buildings, signs and cars.
We have become so separated from nature that now even when we take our
vacations in “nature” we have to be able to drive right into the middle of it.
We often have paved paths, and signs warning us what a treacherous place this nature is!
(signs warning of this, and stay off of that, and of course don’t do that!)
My mind, body and soul get wrapped up in being bombarded by the current
human impact, but I try to often transport myself to a place where
all I absorb is the nature that is left in between the deep grooves of society’s fingerprint.
The Virgin River is the shaping force of the Valley.
And what an amazing scene it has sculpted.
The Valley walls are amazing, the red rock hovers above you at every turn!
Next stop was Emerald Pools.
We hiked up to the Lower and Middle Pools.
This is the waterfall that falls from the middle to lower pools.
It makes a lovely spattering sound.
Even with the developed trails to these sites, and the immense amount of traffic they
get each year, you can still feel natures raw beauty.
We had no plan of what we wanted to do when we arrived in the Valley,
so we were simply moving toward what ever drew our attention.
What better place to go for inspiration than Angels Landing?
This was the beginning of my new path.
To let my mind, body and soul fly free!
So we started our climb.
The beginning of the trail is cut into the side of the steep red rock.
Beautiful craftsmanship went into cutting red rock into perfect squares and stacking
them as walls to keep the trail on the side of the hill.
Even some blasting so that the trail could snake even deeper into the side of the hill.
We got to the top of the first climb.
Several people were sitting at this point, some simply resting before moving on,
others with a weary look on their face as they looked up the trail,
resignation tattooed upon their features.
Without a pause we moved up the next part of the trail.
As you can see from the above picture it snaked along a knifes edge.
I loved to watch each person walking this part of it.
Some moved along with no effort, truely enjoying the journey along this unique trail.
Others inched and crawled along, but they were doing it!
I celebrated each step for them, because they were pushing through that fear to make it to where
the Angels dwell!
I felt good along my journey, fear that would have been there in the past,
perhaps even a week before were melting away.
Once in a while I would look down to see the ground next to me plummeting to the valley
floor, and a wave of fear would pass through me.
But I embraced it and would take a moment to stop and study the sheer drop next to me.
I marveled at the immense beauty of the place I was,
the unique formation that was this fin we were climbing out, and wondering
how the river shaped it.
All along the journey I was truely humbled.
How is it, for how small we are, how miniscule of a being,
we have managed to take over the earth?
We have explored almost every corner of this earth, and managed to manipulate most of it into
a “Resource” to be used.
How have we become so separated from our dear mother?
Even many of those that took this beautiful pilgrimage to the aptly named Angels Landing
took only a moment or two to look around, and then turned right back around.
I do understand that sometimes it is the journey that is the greatest undertaking for a person.
But how could one not spend hours, days, weeks on top just admiring the wonder of each nuance
in front of you?
I felt that our mere 2 hours on top was no where enough time to actually absorb what
was surrounding me.
I could have spent months up there and still not have seen, heard, smell or feel everything.
Here is one without me blocking the beautiful view. We were out on a fin that had this kind of view
almost all the way around us. It is just spectacular!
Almost everywhere you went on Angels Landing you were standing at the edge
of a cliff face. I really do not know how this fin was shaped the way it was.
I am endlessly fascinated by how nature shapes her landscape.
A true Artist!
While we were sitting on top of Angels Landing we saw many different people come up.
Some would stop for a little bit,
others would snap a couple pictures, catch their breath, and head back.
A lady and man sat near us for a little bit, and at one point she said
“Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a zipline from up here?”
Wow, what a way down that would be!
After an amazing sitting with the Angels
(and a few begging chipmunks)
We started our journey back to the bottom.
We did a couple more stops along the shuttle route, enjoying the rest of the Tourist
experience. And then made our way back to the car.
The evening light is truely magical on that red rock!
Zion entertained us for about a week.
The next day we explored around Springdale (I looked around the shops like a good tourist)
And then drove through the park one last time on our route toward Bryce Canyon National Park.
Zion National Park ~ Backcountry
Hi Everyone! We are back and settled into home.
Bernie sorted through our pictures and selected 250 of our favorites.
This is far too many to share in one post, so I will split it into the different areas we got to visit.
Technically our first stop of the trip was Great Basin National Park in Nevada.
I did not include any photos from this stop because it was cloudy the whole time we
were there, and none of them are overly stunning.
After two nights in Great Basin we drove to the northern entrance to Zion NP,
Kolob Canyon.
After talking to the rangers for a few minutes we decided to do a 4 night backcountry
hike across the park and back. This was not a trip we were planning on but Zion has been
an area I have always loved, and this would give us a chance to explore it in a whole
new way.
Our first two days of the trip across the park were cloudy, as can be seen in the above photo.
Our journey would take us down La Verkin Creek Trail, Hop Valley Trail, Wildcat Canyon Trail
the West Rim Trail, and then back along the same route.
As we moved into the early morning hours of our second night camping out the clouds
opened up and dumped rain on us. Now one of the greatest disadvantages of camping in a NP
is having to use established campsites. The thousands of people that pitch their tent on that
small patch of dirt over the years pack it into a substance almost as impervious as cement.
Not to slowly the water built up into a small stream as it moved down the small
hill that led straight to our camping spot.
I flipped on my headlamp and found an adequately pointed stone to start my miniature ditch
system. Water started to stream under our groundcloths (which is but a thin layer between the
ground and our sleeping bags). My little ditches gradually grew into a system that drew
the water down and around our tarp.
Finally satisfied with the path of the water I looked down hill from our tarp at the other
“camp spot” and said a little prayer of thanks as I witnessed all the water from the surrounding area
creating a small lake where we had first pondered setting up camp.
Once my feat of engineering removed the risk of flooding I enjoyed listening to the waves
of rain beating against our little green tarp.
Right after dawn the clouds released one last deluge of rain and hail, as if it were
throwing a hissy fit knowing that clear skies were moving in.
And then there they were! Clear blue skies!
The temperatures were lower than I had expected for our journey through the southwest,
but the beauty was amazing!
I am endlessly fascinated by all the different layers of rocks. The textures, colours, and
shapes are amazing. The beauty of nature is so often missed in our society.
If I could share one thing with everyone in the US, it would be to stop and truely see the amazing
beauty, energy, peace, and wonder that nature holds.
I never fail to be amazed by the energy of Red Rock Country. It instills the very
essence of nature into your soul.
Zion wrapped me in a very strong inspirational grasp. It was the perfect start
to our trip. Our backcountry hike provided me the opportunity to reflect on
what I have been doing lately, and what I want to do with my future.
The nights provided me with very vivid dreams sharing great insights.
The days were filled with amazing grand vistas, inspiriting ones soul to re-connect
with our mother earth.
There were a few points along the trail that were not filled with grand vistas. These moments
were the times to enjoy the little details that fill each moment.
We also filled these moments with talks of life, the small and large of it.
The beauty of experiencing the grand adventure of Being Human.
It is amazing how sunshine can transform a landscape. When we had first crossed this spot
grey clouds filled the sky. There is still a vast beauty to the area,
but the energy has a little more of a subdued feeling.
As we re-traced our route everything seemed to glow from within.
An old dirt road carried us back into Hop Valley.
My sandals decided to do a little bit of self destruction half way through our trip,
although it was a bit inconvenient that they decided to come apart in the middle of a hike,
I decided it was a sign that I was starting a new path in life.
I did still use the sandals for part of the hike, but I also took the opportunity to use my
moccasins. What a beautiful way to connect even more with the earth.
With a thick slab of rubber between your feet and ground it is easy to plow forth, ignoring
what lies upon your path. When a thin piece of leather is all that is between your feet and mother earth
you are able to feel your surroundings instead of insulating yourself from them.
I could feel the mud push up against the soft leather of my moccasins,
almost as if it was squishing between my toes.
The leather truely feels as if it is a second skin.
I was amazed at all the different directions that some of the rock layers took.
The movement of the earth frozen in time and then slowly revealed, as if a big red curtain
was being drawn away over the millenia.
I have to admit I was a little smitten with rocks on this trip.
Above you can see a couple of the cows that lived in Hop Valley.
On all our hikes across the country we have seen many free range cows.
Cows in all kinds of habitats.
I have to say these cows have the most scenic place to live of all the grazing lands we have seen.
And they have truely adapted to their surroundings.
As I walked pass a cow, talking to her as I went (something I often do with all kinds of animals) I followed
her gaze up the “cliff” above her.
There I saw my first rock climbing cow.
This might sound out there, but I have never seen a cow that had climbed up such a steep incline.
The first one we witnessed up there was a partially grown calf. He was poking around in
the brush. After admiring his climbing capabilities we turned to continue on and suddenly heard
a loud crash behind us. I turned around expecting to see a calf in a pile of rocks,
but no, he held fast to his spot, not even a hint of being flustered.
Hmm, rock climbing cows, its a whole new breed.
La Verkin Creek had a particularly beautiful scenic bend. I loved how the
water had worn down through the rock in this one spot. The sound of the cascade was
mesmorizing, and the view breathtaking. A beautiful place to reflect on our 4 night backcountry
journey across the park.
Well everyone, that is my story of our first leg of an amazing journey!
I hope you enjoyed it!
Another week rolls by….
It never ceases to amaze me how fast the weeks go by. I could swear it has only been a couple of days since last weekend. Then I start to question what I have accomplished. This week was not one of high activity, but I did get some things done.
Unfortunately I did not get started on the whole picture project, I do have some time to get it done, but I am going to try not to fall into my typical pattern of procrastination. Its always easy once I get started, its just that whole getting started thing.
Bernie got a beautiful shot of a pileated woodpecker today; he has it on his blog already. It has the most beautiful fall colors in the background. They are such majestic birds. I think it will be a good seller at the upcoming shows. I am starting to get excited about the shows. I am starting to think about what cards we need to print up, and we have a new card rack that will be a nice addition to our booth set up. In certain ways I wish I was doing another show or two, but these two shows will keep me plenty busy. The first one is just for one weekend, but the next one is a four weekend event, Fri. Sat. and Sun. each weekend. Its my version of a winter job.
Today I dropped my parents off at the airport, they flew into Las Vegas. They are going for a shipping container convention. I know, sounds pretty exciting right? Mom just started a new job at a place that sells and rents those big shipping containers that cargo is shipped across the oceans with. There are some interesting things going on with them. Some people are building houses out of them. Since my dad is a carpenter he is going with to see if it would be a feasible income earning endeavor to do housing and such with these containers. It will be interesting to hear what they learn at this convention. They get back on Wednesday, so they get a nice little vacation.
We spent the weekend getting the bark/scrap pile from the sawmill burned up, there is a little bit smoldering still, but its pretty much all gone. It’s a nice feeling to get things cleaned up. And that means the next step is using some of that fresh lumber to do the siding on a pole building that my dad built not too long ago. That will be good to get that finished off also, and it will be fun to use some of that lumber. So maybe we will get to start on that project later this week.
Tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful, so the plan is to go on a walk. It will be nice to get out and enjoy the outdoors, and perhaps get some good pictures also. I really haven’t been out walking much, and I can sure feel it in my body. It will be really nice to get out there and walk/hike a little bit. Clear out the system a little bit.
Alright, its movie night. I am off to watch something, not sure what the selection is yet. But I do know that we just got Sweeney Todd from Netflix today….. that should be a good selection to watch this close to Halloween.
This is Me……
Well, how does one start a first entry in blog about daily life? I could write a long involved history of who I am, and where I have come from. Or I can simply tell you that I live life the way I want. I am an explorer, a dreamer, an artist, and so much more. My life is blessed in so many ways, and different than so many others.
I am 26 years old, and I have quite a list of wonderful adventures already under my belt. I have done quite a bit of long distance hiking, traveling to beautiful places, living in wild spaces. I have been with my boyfriend Bernie for 6 years now, and we travel all over together. He is one of the main inspirations in my life for living alternatively. My parents were a huge influence in my life also, they always encouraged me to follow my dreams, and do what called me.
Currently we are living on my parents property for the winter. This is the place that I grew up, and I affectionately call it the zoo. We have quite the collection of animals out here, one of my favorites being the banty chickens. As time goes on I am sure I will talk about all the different creatures that share our space.
Bernie does wildlife photography, and we sell cards and prints sometimes at the holiday craft shows, and other shows. Its something that we can do in between our adventures. He does a wonderful job with the photography, and then I custom mat the pieces. We always get great feedback on the photography. I will share some of his photography on here, and some of mine. I will also have the link to his blog that he has just started with his photography.
We are all signed up for a couple of holiday shows in Bellingham, I will write more about those as we get ready for them. I enjoy doing them for all the different people I get to meet. I love people that are following their dreams and selling their crafts.
I am actually working part time for a friend that I met at one such craft show. Christie owns Birchwood Botanicals, and makes herbal body care and other products. She makes WONDERFUL products, and is a great person. I am working part time helping to put her gardens to bed for the winter. I love being out in the dirt with the plants.
Well that’s a very general overview of where I am right now, with each entry more details will emerge, and the story will become more complete. I look forward to sharing with anyone that is interested in my perspective on this game called life.
