Hide And Seek

“I have a need for solitude;  I’ll never be safe in crowded rooms;  I like the sound of silence coming on;  I come around when everyone has gone.”  Mary Chapin Carpenter 

Life runs in cycles just as the seasons do.  With each new cycle comes new awareness and new growth.  Sometimes there are cycles with which we feel stuck and are not sure which direction to go.  Nonetheless, they all provide a lesson for us to grow.  One of the parts’ of myself that has grown over the years, is my awareness and acceptance that I am an introvert.  My time alone is precious and more importantly, vital to my spiritual growth.  I truly didn’t understand and embrace this about myself until I got older.  Now, I thrive in it.  It is my time to hide from the world, and seek what is truly important to me…my connection with the Divine.  For me, there is no greater freedom than this.

As a teacher for ten months of the year, I am inundated with people and relationships.  It is exhausting to say the least.  I do enjoy people and the time that I spend with them,  but there is nothing freer than being with myself out in nature.  So right after the school year started, I went on a hike to get myself centered…

My aim was to hike up to Smith Lake. The Smith Lake hike starts out at the Wrights Lake Camping area which is off of highway 50 towards South Lake Tahoe.  Once you reach Wrights Lake Road turn left (if you’re heading east on Hwy. 50) and climb about 8 miles of windy road until you reach the Wrights Lake visitor center where you will turn right.  Follow that road to the parking lot of the Twin Lakes trail head.  On this trip, my test with people came right away.  I got a late start and ended up at the trail head at 10:00 am.  This is much too late on a weekend, and there were no parking spots.  Needless to say, I was very angry.  I calmed myself down and decided on Plan B.  I noticed on my way up that I passed the parking lot for Lyons Lake, and there were plenty of open spots.  So after fuming and waiting fifteen minutes at the full Twin Lakes lot, I decided to change my hike and go back (about 4 miles back on Wrights Lake Road) to the lot for Lyons Lake Trail Head.  It was a good thing I did, when I did, because when I arrived, there were only a few spots left and I quickly grabbed one.

I have learned over the years that the farther I go on a day hike, the less crowded it will be.  So instead of the 5.6 mile hike up to Smith Lake, I took a 10.2 mile hike to Lyons Lake.  I am always amazed that the Universe knows exactly what I need, because this trek could not have been more perfect!  The majority of the hike was pretty flat terrain, meandering along Lyons Creek, but once I arrived at the junction and turned left for Lyons Lake (Lake Sylvia is straight ahead), the climb became extremely steep (1670 feet elevation gain), which is probably why this hike is considered strenuous.

Although tired from the steep climb, Lyons Lake was definitely worth it!  Prior to arriving at the lake is a beautiful pond, surrounded by pines, grass and big boulders.  I took a side trek around it, as it was so serene.  I took in the different views, the smells of the grass and trees, and the coolness of the water.  Satisfied, I headed over to Lyons Lake, where there is a man made stone bridge to walk across, and found a nice spot to take it all in and enjoy some lunch.  This body of water surrounded by huge granite mountains, was breathtaking. I sat quietly on a large boulder and closed my eyes.  I felt the cool breeze move through me and I knew at that moment my spirit was refreshed.  At that moment, I was reminded how important it is for me to “hide and seek”.

                   “Going to the mountains is going home.”   John Muir