Treading among the high places can bring about the presence of beauty and mystery. Even as memorable snapshots to capture what the place would say. Ever watchful, ever-present, the spirit within available to the truth of creation and its existence. To spiritually feed on the place to observe, learn, and testify about the wonder and glory of God.
Low elevation overcast skies at a distance to remind an observer of a different mood. By place and circumstance, there is a separation of daylight and darkened skies. To affect a perception among a population about the quality of the day. At least for a while until the layer burns off. For a period of time while people go about their lives in a thin middle area between the earth’s surface and its cloud cover. A middle layer of providence and calm, or a layer to veil what is just beyond and what is to come.
This photo I took by happenstance in passing while out on a peak ascent in the San Gabriel Mountains. The unique nature of the tree stood out to bring into remembrance the tales of J.R.R. Tolkien.
“The first White Tree of Gondor came from a fruit that Isildur, at great personal risk, managed to steal from Nimloth the Fair, the White Tree of Númenor, before that one was destroyed at Sauron’s insistence. He suffered many wounds at this mission, and he came near death, but when the first leaf opened in the spring, Isildur was healed of his wounds.
This sapling was brought to Middle-earth on Isildur’s ship, and it was eventually planted in Minas Ithil before the house of Isildur. But when Sauron returned to Middle-earth, he launched a sudden attack in S.A. 3429 that captured Minas Ithil, and he burned the White Tree. Isildur escaped taking with him again a sapling.”
Source: White Tree of Gondor
A series of photos that are of Redwood Canyon. A forested loop route in between Sequoia and Kings Canyon. A lovely area worth exploring with full effort and an open heart. With much to see and do while giving care to location, direction, and the weather. For safety and best use of time to get the most of the experience.
When setting out, there are often times where there really isn’t a trail or clear route to the top of a mountain. Cross country approximation to the top of a well-known peak isn’t to be taken for granted. It isn’t just a concern about losing your way or getting off your bearing. It is largely about pace and energy conservation at altitude to maintain your way. Even if by successive approximation until at the top.
There are times when out and about the trail just vanishes. Or at best becomes sketchy. The Windy Cliffs upside the mountain in Kings Canyon is just such a place. The trail comes and goes while cut horizontally along a cliff with a slope greater than the angle of repose. Meaning, enough rock slides happen on their own weight where a trail gets knocked out or covered. And that’s especially disconcerting when a trail is at best 12″ or so wide while making your way along the slope along a cliff. When you pull and hang onto vegetation roots along a path to keep going when you know you shouldn’t.
Another long walk back. From a high desert summit plateau just West of the Mojave. Places like this help me with perspective about individual significance and value. It’s sort of like looking up at the stars in wonder. As if our comparative individual size and stature have full bearing on our relevance or rarity. Other than size, what “weight” or significance does a person have among far-off places like this? Since we are self-aware sentient beings with the enormous significance of a different type. Are we not valuable and meaningful in the grand scheme of things?
A ‘sub-atomic’ speck in the universe from one perspective and individual singularities from another.
A route far less traveled. A path much less followed. Along the ridge from one summit to another. Much of its technical terrain with loose boulders, shifting rocks, and large vertical slabs. The topology is with steep relief and contours well above the tree line. Not many living creatures up there at about the 13,000 feet range.
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