Somewhere along a trail

"All that we are is a result of what we have thought." Buddha

I would venture to add that while we can't always control those thoughts, we can make the effort to have experiences that make our thoughts positive as much as possible. For me, those times come most readily from being out in nature. The memories and energy from those times become part of who I am.

Not that I don't like groomed gardens, but the more some government entity improves a desert trail to make it wider and more accessible, the less pleased I am. When I am out there, I don't want a sidewalk experience-- there are plenty of places for that.

When the park service and volunteers began broadening the Canyon Loop Trail at Catalina State Park, I went so far as to voice my opinion. It didn't help as when a plan goes into place to broaden a road, sidewalk or trail, it's seen as progress to a certain mindset. When I first walked there, the trail was winding, around and over boulders, narrow in places, the kind of trail that makes you slow down, where Zen moments happen because you are not rushing past them.

Currently, where it comes to Catalina, I have to get off the main trail, take smaller, less traveled paths, and sometimes wade the stream to find the quiet places, the ones that urge a hiker to stop awhile. I do not bushwhack as almost everything in the desert has one kind of thorn or another.

When I see the houses going up everywhere in Tucson, I feel sad because too many are being put behind thick walls and gates to protect their new owners from what to me is the most beautiful part of living there-- the Sonoran Desert. Yes, there are dangers that the fences keep out, but they also keep out life flow.

I think if more people experience wilderness, even tiny parts of it, they'll see more reason to protect it. If it isn't protected, wilderness will disappear. What our ancestors protected, it's up to us to maintain. I would hate to think only our generation saw the dollar sign as more important than preserving beauty and the possibility to experience unfiltered nature.

For this blog, I wanted to find photos that would show the energy of these places as it is reflected through a person. They happen to all be of me, but they could be anyone. I see many faces while hiking who reflect the same love of the places. Sometimes we all stop and say hello; sometimes we respect each other's moment of experiencing the now.

Because my husband had taken so many interesting photos in so many great places, I had a hard time narrowing it down. Even though, there are still too many, I am making them small. Click on those of interest.

These all came from Catalina State Park and Sabino Canyon-- end of March and first day of April-- somewhere along a trail enjoying what nourishes my spirit more than any mall (of which I went in none this trip), movie theater (didn't end up doing that either), or restaurant (okay, I did do that).

Under the desert sun, it's wise to carry water, use sunscreen, hats, and long sleeved shirts if you aren't going in the early morning. At Sabino there were (as there have been since major fires in the Catalina Mountains) warnings about mountain lion sightings. Everywhere there could be rattlesnakes. I have even seen Gila monsters at Sabino-- which are rare and only a danger if you see them as a pet, not a poisonous lizard which can get testy if prodded. Most wild things are more eager to avoid you than you them, but never forget what is out there can be poisonous. At Sabino, a couple of years ago a small child was bitten by a diamondback as she sat on a rock under which the snake had found shelter.

In my opinion, when out in nature, whether it's woodland or desert, enjoy and look for the place that says ah ha. There will be many from which to choose when you slow down enough to hear them.

The boo-boo photo is one of those times (which I have more than I should) where I stepped out without counting the cost. It was at Sabino. I saw a place I wanted to look at more closely. The side of the bridge was not very high, the pool was quite shallow. I had just stepped off the edge as my husband said-- don't do it there. Well there might have been okay except the sand there was very soft having washed in with the recent floods. I felt my foot twisting as it gave and knew I was going to fall. The pool was shallow (as you can see). My only fear was that my camera would end up in it with me. I twisted to the side, managed to lower it onto the bridge before I hit the water.

My husband came over with the expected-- are you okay? My comment was-- who cares, what about my camera? It did survive with no damage, but the polarizer lens was not so fortunate. I ended up with a small elbow scrape but had the fringe benefit of being cooler the rest of the walk.

Did I learn anything about sticking to the beaten path? Probably not.

(For anyone who has only recently discovered this blog and would like to know more about Tucson, in April of 2006, I also wrote about the desert, sacred places, and my home down there.)