Today in the Forest

Yesterday in the forest of Olympic National Park, I found myself again.   Transported to a vast quiet park.  A fairytale kingdom where no one else was.  

Small green plants that flying birds and businessmen miss within the lawn of forest below.  Significant as stars above for morning meanderers and creeping slugs among the trees.  

Familiar with both joys and sorrows

of solitude

the joys surpass them

when I was lonelier than alone

I missed the conversation going on around me

when merely alone, I don’t miss nearly as much.    

Trees so tall

straight and dense

I’m an ant crawling in grass

so many stems

only an occasional ray

suggests light

beyond this forest

the weakness and smallness

of humans

They told him to build a bridge

across a little creek

on a trail so little used

he’d likely get no comments

the artist had but one to please

a bridge of logs and planks would work

but would not join the grandeur of this place

so with thought of more than function

he pleased my eye today

not just my feet    

Lake Angeles

.

The bottom side of a turned-up tree

The roots of an old pine grasp the ground

as if to say “this is where I began,”

“this is where I’ll end.” –

Lois Jones     

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”  John Muir

If John said that to me I’d follow him anywhere.  And I almost did.  

Click any picture to enlarge it.

Michael Angerman has prepared a map showing all of my nightly sleeping places, as he has done for my trips many times before.  From this you can trace my route.  He updates it almost daily.  Thank you, Michael.  Please click here:  Michael's Map

P.S.  That was yesterday.  This morning I set out again into the wilderness, but came to a closed road.  Contrary to the weather forecast, ten inches of snow fell in the night.  Here's a picture looking up at where I want to be