Those who dwell. . . among the beauties and mysteries of life are never alone. Rachel Carson The spring after my disappointing hike of the Washington section of the PCT ( see last week’s post, Still Hiking with Leah), I went on a backpacking trip in early May up the Elwha River in Olympic NationalContinue reading “Far from the Crowd”
Author Archives: Colleen Drake
Still Hiking with Leah
Great things happen when women and mountains meet. William Blake In 2012 when I retired, my husband and I moved to Marrowstone Island, which is located just off the mainland of the Olympic Peninsula, connected by a bridge. Our home provided a view of Admiralty Inlet, Whidbey Island across the sound, and the Cascade Mountains,Continue reading “Still Hiking with Leah”
Hiking with Leah
Even after all this time The sun never says to the earth–“You owe me.” Look what happens with a love like that. It lights the whole sky. Hafiz My daughter Leah and I went on our first of many backpacking trips together when she was nine years old. If you read last week’s post, YesContinue reading “Hiking with Leah”
Yes I Can
“Time is the substance I am made of,” wrote Jorge Luis Borges. “Time is a river that sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger which destroys me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire.” There’s no scrambling up to theContinue reading “Yes I Can”
The Best of Natural Medicine
The body’s harp gets handed to the soul to play. Rumi It is winter time. About a foot-and-a-half of snow remains on the ground, and it is raining and cold, the roads treacherous. Such weather calls for a cup of tea, a fire burning in the wood stove, and a stack of books to keepContinue reading “The Best of Natural Medicine”
Bearing Witness
It is what I was born for– to look, to listen, to lose myself into the soft world– to instruct myself over and over. . . Mary Oliver The painting you see above was transferred from the riverbank to the canvas by my grandmother, who was an accomplished oil painter. My grandfather was an earlyContinue reading “Bearing Witness”
Happy Hiking
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. Edward Abbey It is New Year’s day, and like many people I become pensive at this time of year, reflecting on the year that has passed and wondering what the new one willContinue reading “Happy Hiking”
Sweet Memories from the Summer Sun
Cultivate the attitude of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you and to give thanks continuously. Ralph Waldo Emerson I was delighted recently when a friend gave me a quart of frozen huckleberries. This time of year of course most edible gifts are plates of sugar cookies or a tin of homemadeContinue reading “Sweet Memories from the Summer Sun”
Around the Campfire
Do not be surprised that the return of the light lifts your spirits. Do not be surprised that warmth on your back calms you and makes you glad. Feel your spirits lift as the sun rises higher in the sky: this is part of you, this snaky gladness, part of who you have been forContinue reading “Around the Campfire”
Petals and Patience
“Patience” comes from the same ancient roots as “petals”—to open like a flower, to unfurl, to receive the stroke of a moth’s tongue and the ministrations of a bee. And so we are given “passive” and “patient” and “passionate.” Kathleen Dean Moore in Wild Comfort The flower you see in the photo above is aContinue reading “Petals and Patience”
The Solitude Trail 