Unrelenting monsoon rains poured down upon us last nite for a good solid hour, just as we had completed the assembly of our shelter. Tensions are always high on the day that we relocate the camper. We have to compromise around the inconsistencies of our work schedules, pre-pack accordingly, and it is always a last minute decision as to where we will actually land. Our summer pilgrimage began on May 1st, 2014; 9 completely different locations, landscapes, climate, and wildlife.
In honor of what may be our last camping adventure in Colorado, I share with you this.
‘Throughout time the mountains have held archetypal significance in all cultures. Mountains are sacred places. Humans have always sought out spiritual guidance and renewal among them. The mountain is the symbol for the prime axis of the world (Mt. Meru). Mountains are the dwelling places of the gods (Mt. Olympus). The place where the spiritual leader encounters God and receives his/Her commandments and covenant (Mt. Sinai). They embody dread, harmony, harshness and majesty. Yet, they are the place of visions, where one can touch the panoramic scale of the natural world and its intersection with life’s fragile but tenacious rootings. Mountains have played key roles in our history and pre-history and to traditional peoples, mountains were and still are mother, father, guardian, protector, and ally. Rising above all else on this planet, they beckon and overwhelm with their sheer presence.
This morning I woke up and encountered another view of jaw dropping beauty. I lovingly embraced it. The two hours that followed were filled with many questions, and many prayers.
Sifting through and cleaning fire pits has become a ritual that takes place within the first 24 hours of our relocations. The beauty here is real, and so is the facade it creates for all who visit and live among it. For two thirds of the year these campsites are only accessible by snowmobile. I am repeatedly astonished by the abundance of metals that I disover at every campsite; burnt, rusted, buried; recyclable materials such as glass and plastic, melted, charred, fragmented.
High altitude snow and rain in its purest, cleanest form saturates these creeks, rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, and gulches. The earth’s magical magnetic force draws that water downward to the flat lands and beyond. Expanding its life giving energy, all the way to the ocean.
My husband and I have spent many years of our lives accustomed to camping, in many states, on this continent. We like to play in the dirt. We like rocks. We like cleaning up forest debris and making a beautiful fire.
Tremendous beauty and pristine wilderness requires penalties placed among those earthlings, who think poisoning the ground water on any level is acceptable. It takes a concerned community, a desire to protect the sacredness of these places, and strict laws and fines for those caught polluting.
Our encounter with this sacred place has been intensely transformational. I have seen some hard truths here. Communities compromising the health of the lands and wildlife they hold sacred, in exchange for the necessity of tourism to keep the economy afloat.
The truth is, if this county restricted the use of ATV’s, dirt bikes, and policed what people where burning in the National Forest. Tourists will still come and the land and wildlife will still be protected, and the economy would not suffer.
This morning, I build my first structural offering to honor our time here. It is common to see these temples structures placed randomly among the mountains. My most heartfelt prayer is for humanity to open and expand its conscious state of awareness. Complacency and ignorance no longer serve the greater need of this planet or the tribal communities that we have created here.
Actions have consequences. Act out of love, act out of kindness, act out of service to this planet and our communities.
Warmest Blessings
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