Bear Lake Journeys Blog

I remembered my mom, and how strange it had been to be in her house, with her recently vacated body, after she died.  She had left it only about an hour before we arrived, but I had the feeling she had already been gone for days.  The last time I…

One’s lofty goals and best intentions of the past are not remembered; only the results of one’s actions.  One may have a stout bow and the noblest aim, but if the arrow misses its mark, the only things remembered are the shortcomings of the archer.  By contrast, having good intentions…

“I am a pilgrim, and a stranger, traveling through this wearisome land…” — Johnny Cash Sweet Jesus, where do I begin?  This could be the longest post in my blog…  Five years of my life rushed by in the blink of an eye, like crowded subway cars packed with human…

“The power which resides in you is new in nature, and no one else knows what that is, nor do you, until you have tried.”   — Ralph Waldo Emerson I was surrounded by darkness so absolute that I couldn’t sense any dimension to it.  With the flashlights turned off,…

“Ordinarily, I go into the woods alone, with not a single friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore unsuitable.  I don’t really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds or hugging the old black oak tree.  I have my way of praying, as you no doubt…

“Who knows the flower best?  The one who reads about it in a book, or the one who finds it wild on the mountainside? — Alexandria David-Neel Lunchtime was a bigger deal than in previous expeditions.  Boys like to eat, and meals are the events by which a day is measured. …

“If you are drinking a cup of tea,you are aware of the whole environmentas well as the cup of tea. You can therefore trust what you are doing;you are not threatened by anything.You have room to dance in the space,and this makes it a creative situation.This space is open to…

“Although we are accustomed to separate nature and human perception into two realms, they are, in fact, indivisible.  Landscape is the work of the mind.  Its scenery is built as much from strata of memory as from layers of rock.” — Simon Schama By the time dinner was over, I’d…

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” ― Joseph Campbell We made good time from then on.  The trail to the Bear Lakes is not long, but it is particularly demanding of stamina and concentration.  Kevin and Logan scurried like Hobbits in the meadows, where the…

“The meaning of life is to find your gift.  The purpose of life is to give it away.” — Pablo Picasso The next morning, we got up early for our new adventure: backpacking!  Yay!  The boys were not impressed.  They preferred to stay at Kangaroo Lake and play in the…

Little boy, I miss you, with your sudden smile and     Your ignorance of pain.You walked in life and devoured it – without anything     But misty goals to keep you company.Your heart beat mightily when you chased frogs     And captured one too big for a single hand.You wandered with friends in…

We can learn a lot from every living thing… even bugs. I Conversations with a Bug I’m sitting on the northeast bluff of Wee Bear, my soul soaring among the purple cliffs and diving down to the distant, dwarf-like trees in the valley… Channeling free-form thoughts from the pure mountain…

“Fear is the mind-killer.  Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.  I will face my fear.  I will permit it to pass over me, and around me, and through me.  And when it has gone past me I will turn to see fear’s path.  Where the fear has…

“Do not be afraid.  There is nowhere you can fall,but the power of the earth will hold you.” — Sally Oldfield ~ The wilderness dwells within itself; in the peace that comes from following God’s will for His creation.  I am but an insincere tourist, insulated in a bubble of…

“When observed in their essential nature, all the mountains, rocks, trees, and rivers appear as magical realms or deities… Those obstructed by spiritual transgressions can never enter this great mandala.” — Lehnge Shepe Dorje ~ Why do I come here year after year, drawn to this place inexplicably, as a…

“A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature.  It is the earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.” — Henry David Thoreau ~ I return to this place alone, to forget – and to remember. I want to forget the blinding…