Dear Ones,
I had another post drafted for today but decided instead to tell you about my “slow time” on the mountain a few days ago. My friend Kathie frequently hikes the trails on Mt. Baker and skis there during the winter; it’s one of her favorite places. Koma Kulshan is the indigenous name for this mighty mountain. Those of us who live in Whatcom County and beyond see her often. She is a beloved part of our landscape. (You’ll see her in the Seeker card of the Gaian Tarot, and in the Elder of Water, too.) Because I’m such an ocean-oriented girl, I don’t often go up the mountain, preferring to gaze at her from the lowlands. I realized that it had probably been 20 years since I’d been up there.
I had some anxiety about going for even an “easy hike” as it’s been such a slow road for me as I recover from various surgeries and other health issues over the last couple of years. I’ve been walking the trails near my home almost every day, trying to go farther each time. I am stymied at times by pain in the knees, pain in the hips, breathlessness due to lung damage, and other issues. Can anyone relate? But I’ve been persevering and was ready to stretch myself a bit. I trusted Kathie and knew she would look out for me. More importantly, I knew she would not get irritated, impatient, or shame me for being slow and cautious.
After an hour of driving, chattering all the way, we arrived at Heather Meadows in the North Cascades / Mt. Baker Area and looked out at two small lakes linked by a flat, easy trail. It was stunning up on the mountain. A perfect September day — clear blue skies, not too hot, and since it was mid-week, not crowded.
But it turned out that the hike down to the flat part of the trail nearly did me in. The uneven ground was difficult for me to navigate — thank goddess for hiking poles! — and painful. The journey back up was even harder, because it only took a few steep steps before I was breathless. I had to stop frequently to rest and catch my breath.
But, dear Reader — let me tell you: I did it! And I don’t care how hard it was. It was worth it.
Here are some of the moments of grace and extraordinary beauty we experienced:
Deeply breathing in the crisp, cool, clean mountain air.
Cerulean blue skies (where’s my paintbox?).
Temps in the low 70s … not too hot, not too cold. Perfect.
Friendly folks on the trail. “I’m slow, too!” “You may be slow, but you’re here!”
Stopping to gather wild blueberries growing in great profusion by the side of the trail. The flavor so sweet.
Gathering wild blueberries. Yum! Photo by JPC. Admiring the bright red-orange colors of Mountain Ash berries. I’m used to seeing tall Mountain Ash trees in the lowlands, but here they’re all low bushes. So pretty.
Sparkling diamond glints of water on the lake — epiphany of the White Lady. (I wrote about this in the Death card commentary for the Gaian Tarot.)
Watching honeybees and bumblebees hovering over purple asters at the lake’s edge.
Bee and aster. Photo by Kathie Hardy. Taking off our hiking shoes and socks to squish our toes in the mud and wade in the waters of the cold glacial lake.
Eating the best sandwich ever, with a side of just-picked huckleberries and blueberries.
Noticing the water’s reflection way up in evergreen branches, appearing to be otherworldly fog.
Stillness. Calm. Peace. Going slow.
A cacophony of raven calls, alarmed about this or that.
As we turned away from the lake, pausing to admire the shadows on the mountains in the late afternoon light, the noisy stream that links the lakes, birdsong and squirrel chatter.
Stream that links the two lakes. Photo by JPC. On our way back up the trail, a beautifully dressed bride and groom were coming down along with their photographer. We congratulated them and I admired the bride’s hiking boots under her frothy, lacy wedding gown. We were taking the ascent so slowly that they managed to get down to the lake, have their photos taken, and pass us again on the way back up. This time, Kathie pointed out all the blueberries and huckleberries (“There are seven species of berries on this mountain and they’re all edible!”). They began gathering berries for their wedding feast as they continued up the trail.
Wedding couple turned toward their photographer. Photo by JPC. 
Wedding couple headed back up the trail. Photo by JPC.
The best part: napping in the blueberry meadow. We made it almost all the way to the top when Kathie suggested we rest for awhile. She continued to gather berries while I fell fast asleep. I don’t know how long I was out, but I woke refreshed, with Brandi Carlile’s new song playing in my head. And then a visit by two very friendly pups.
What a delicious, ordinary, extraordinary day.
Thank you, Kathie, for nudging me out of my comfort zone. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.
Just as I was falling asleep that night, I realized that I had painted a version of this day one year ago, when I created the Elder Hermit. There’s my walking stick. There’s Koma Kulshan aka Mt. Baker in the distance. There are the crows — cousins to ravens. There’s the autumn landscape with green ferns turning brown, falling leaves, and mushrooms.
All that’s missing are the wild blueberries.
