This is a place that I love.
It's the corner of the Continental Divide, where Atlantic meets Pacific meets Arctic. "The apex," one might say, the center; the place where life can flow in any direction - a single drop of water, a fractal flake of snow, a moment in time. It's near here, on the Columbia Icefield, in the Canadian Rockies.
Look East. Look West. Look North. That's opportunity. But to start at the beginning, we look up.
This is a place where few venture; a world of rock and ice and little more. Water flows down; we climb. Trees give way to a sterile moonscape of pure beauty.
This is a place where I put on my sleeping-bag coat; turn to face the frigid wind and blasts of cold. I'm a biosphere of warmth, as long as I'm moving. I huddle in my sleeping-bag coat and march strong.
This is a place where I wander; both over the snow and inside my mind. I think about the far-away places the flakes atop these pinnacles may someday reach; the Mackenzie River, the Columbia River, and Hudson Bay.
It reminds me that nothing is permanent and nothing stays the same. It helps me feel more secure with uncertainty; more comfortable. I bundle up my sleeping-bag coat and start down.
This is a place; just a place. The Triple Divide is just an idea, someone's theory, somewhere else. We're just a couple of hikers out for a stroll - somewhere high, somewhere quiet, flowing home.
This is a place that I love.
It's the corner of the Continental Divide, where Atlantic meets Pacific meets Arctic. "The apex," one might say, the center; the place where life can flow in any direction - a single drop of water, a fractal flake of snow, a moment in time. It's near here, on the Columbia Icefield, in the Canadian Rockies.
Look East. Look West. Look North. That's opportunity. But to start at the beginning, we look up.
This is a place where few venture; a world of rock and ice and little more. Water flows down; we climb. Trees give way to a sterile moonscape of pure beauty.
This is a place where I put on my sleeping-bag coat; turn to face the frigid wind and blasts of cold. I'm a biosphere of warmth, as long as I'm moving. I huddle in my sleeping-bag coat and march strong.
This is a place where I wander; both over the snow and inside my mind. I think about the far-away places the flakes atop these pinnacles may someday reach; the Mackenzie River, the Columbia River, and Hudson Bay.
It reminds me that nothing is permanent and nothing stays the same. It helps me feel more secure with uncertainty; more comfortable. I bundle up my sleeping-bag coat and start down.
This is a place; just a place. The Triple Divide is just an idea, someone's theory, somewhere else. We're just a couple of hikers out for a stroll - somewhere high, somewhere quiet, flowing home.
"I'm a biosphere of warmth as long as I'm moving." What a great way to think about winter. Thank-you for that little nugget.
ReplyDeleteI believe you are my kindred spirit, Jill. Thank you for that post.
ReplyDeleteLove this post. Probably made some of us believe again :-) Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSounds like those mountains have brought some peace - nature is good like that
ReplyDeleteLove your photos. The blues and whites with a swash of color are absolutely amazing. And, the overall result is that the peace of the area is projected through your photos. Great post.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning photo's. I'm planning a bike trip for Alaska this September/October and am so glad I found your blog!
ReplyDeleteYou should stay and become a fellow canuck!
ReplyDeletejillster your pics are getting soooo good!
ReplyDeleteallbest, ken
There is nothing like a day high in the mountains to bring you to living in the present. No yesterday. No tomorrow. Just right now. It's not hard to see why you love it.
ReplyDeleteMartyuma
Hemingway?
ReplyDeleteYour entire blog makes me want to quit my job, and visit all those wondrous places..
ReplyDeleteI envy you..
..but in a kind and supportive way..
Thanks for making me wake up and be aware of an appreciate my little slice of Creation.