“Ah yeah, there’s a path, a glorious light; that guides you up the mountainside; at the top, if you could, you’d cry; ’cause you see pure love for the very first time” Amy Grant (Deep as it is Wide)
In my previous blog, Seeking Purity (Part 1: Wildflowers and Obstacles), my hike to Blue Canyon Lake was shortened due to not being able to cross the fast moving creek up near the top of the canyon. I made it my goal to get back before the year is over and at 10,040 feet, that window of time is short. It is a 3 hour drive one way, so I put in a request for my timeshare at Angels Camp and hoped a unit would become available. It wasn’t looking good until three days before the weekend I requested, when I got the email that there was a cancellation. So off I went the first weekend of October knowing that this hike was meant to be.
I was a little worried about this hike as it had snowed the week before and I wasn’t sure if the trail was going to be clear. But it was warm the days after, so I reasoned that most of the snow should be gone. When I arrived at the trail head, there was one parking spot (out of four) left, just for me. I could see that the creek was running low, but there was still some snow going up the first hill side. Since it was easy to cross the creek, I was excited to get to the lake this time. I also vowed that I would do some off trail exploring.
As I made my way up the trail, there was a little more snow than I anticipated, and I started to worry that I might not be able to make it over some of the more difficult parts of the hike. It was a beautiful day and when I reached one of the tough spots, I saw ice and snow. To my left, I saw a clearing that was extremely steep, but free of snow. I decided to go that direction and head off trail. So slowly, but surely, breathing hard every twenty steps, I made my way up the ridge towards Deadman’s Lake. I had my GPS device and my compass with me, so I wasn’t too worried. I reached the top and made my way across a meadow with the creek running through it. It was quite beautiful.
I made my own path to where the meadow ended and met a ridge that was quite snow ridden. I could see by my GPS device that Deadman’s Lake was just over the ridge. But once again, the terrain was snowy and icy. I walked up and explored as close as I could, but it was more than I could take on that day. Plus I wanted to make sure to get to Blue Canyon Lake. Although as a bonus, the ridge was quite beautiful displaying a waterfall that was half frozen. It was cascading in two areas next to each other, one side was frozen and the other wasn’t. It was very cool….
At that point, I decided that I wasn’t going to Deadman’s Lake, and needed to head back down the ridge, so that I could make it to Blue Canyon Lake. I followed the creek and Canyon back down to the spot where I couldn’t cross the last time, and was happy to see that it was going to be easy to cross. So I did, and again followed the trail to the ridge of rocks that I needed to climb over. I did this and proceeded to slide down the other side, which happened to be a rocky hill side, but lost the trail. As I sat there, trying to eye the trail, I saw someone coming down creekside, and stopped to chat for a few minutes. She told me to just follow the creek and that I wasn’t too far from the lake. This inspired me and off I went to continue my journey.
As I made my way up the creek and arrived at the lake, I was astounded by the majesty of it all. I could see that I made it to somewhere special. It took my breath away…
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There was another group of young people there, who were courageous enough to take a polar swim. I had to give them some kudos for this, as that water was really cold!! I found my own little spot to take in some snacks and enjoy the scenery. However, I have to admit, that when I arrived, I wasn’t feeling so great. I’m guessing that I had a bit of altitude sickness because I felt light headed. I don’t usually get altitude sickness, so I made sure to drink a lot of water and eat some snacks so that I had sufficient energy to get back to the car. What helped me a lot was the cool breeze that was blowing, making me feel refreshed. This was a special moment in a special place, and I wanted to make sure that I was enveloped in it. I laid my head down, and let the sun warm my face.
I believe that Spirit led me to something that is really hard to describe. It is beauty beyond words. I experienced a sense of peace that is unsurpassed. For me, it is as close to heaven as a human can get….and it’s real. Maybe I look at it through childlike eyes, but it’s those eyes that see beyond the reality of everyday life and feel love like no other. And I am humbled to be able to experience this kind of love. We all experience love in so many different ways, an on this day, it was pure. So much so, that I didn’t want to leave. But I knew that it was time. And that I would hold on to this forever….I am free and I am loved.
It was time for me to head back, and I knew that there was going to be some challenging parts on my way. I felt much better, but understood that I would be taking my time to get back. Once I reached the rocky ridge to climb over, I could see that there was plenty of ice that was going to make it a challenge. Luckily, I had new walking poles and they came in very handy for this section. I dug my poles in and slowly stepped from rock to rock to make it through this area. I could see that the group of young people was behind me and figured at some point they would pass. Interestingly enough, they caught up to me, and talked about how treacherous that section was to get through. Needless to say, I felt accomplished. I warily and happily arrived back at my car. I sat in my car drinking a lot of water, and just taking in what I had just experienced. I am honored, humbled and grateful for this human experience on this day….and of course, look forward to those to come.
“The wind in my hair, the sun in my smile; hardly a care and a little wild; I was free” Amy Grant (Free)
