Respite

It's been a working weekend for me and therefore no hikes were planned. Most weekends I try and get out hiking on at least one of the days and usually hike for about four to six hours. For each hike I put on my hiking boots, grab my poles, stuff my Garmin into my pocket and grab my pack, my Deuter 22, bright green pack, which is always stuffed with enough safety items as if I am going to be gone for days. 
Today however, I only had a three hour window in between work and I came home feeling pretty tired and realized I needed to get outdoors to energize myself enough to go back for the last four hours. Its been quite sometime, months in fact, since I actually just went off on my own on a trail somewhere but I knew it was what I needed to do. 
I slipped on my low hikers, stuffed an apple into my pocket and drove three minutes up the road to Bings Creek trail which I only found a month ago. This is a lovely trail that will take you all the way to the top of Mount Prevost, something I have yet to do but it is definitely on the list when I have five hours. Today however a short stroll would have to suffice. 

The quiet forest

I entered the forest and was immediately wrapped in the sound of silence. Ah the peacefulness of a quiet forest, I thought to myself. As I walked along I noticed all the wonderful signs of spring and stopped to take in each little flower, plant, or fungus that brought colour to the mass area of ferns.

A beautiful lily gracing the trails

 I thought about new life and new adventures. It is so easy to just stay doing the same old thing year after year but eventually we all need to experience change and new growth. 

Cute little fungus on the side of a tree

A touch of yellow in among the green ferns 

As I ventured further along the trail I listened to the birds calling back and forth to each other. One had a definite loud caw sound and eventually I found it way up high in a tree, a large black bird of some sort. It was so high up I really couldn't tell what it was but it certainly was huge. 

Lovely little yellow flowers bring a smile to my face

I went down the the creek and just absorbed it's wonderful sounds as it splashed down over the rocks and through the branches as it made its way down through the twists and turns. 

Bings Creek

Such beauty and every time I return to the creek it is somewhat different. It changes constantly and yet each time it retains its beauty. 

Maybe not quite a waterfall but it creates a beautiful sound

I realized how life is so full of changes and how important it is for change and new growth. Life would be boring and get pretty stale if we didn't move onto new challenges, seek new adventures and experience all that we are able to. 

Rushing down from the mountain

The creek's sounds calmed and restored my soul and it brought to me the respite I needed. 
Nature continues to amaze me with it's beauty, especially the streams and falls in the forest. They fill my heart with joy and bring me peace. 

Beauty in the water's splash

I could sit by them for hours watching the water fall and the sounds they create are all so soothing. 

A gift of nature

Eventually I headed back to my car, leaving the creek and once again entering into the silence of the treed forest. The birds were still conversing back and forth. It was only a 45 minute walk in the woods but so very spiritually nourishing. I had forgotten how easy it is to just go for a walk without all the planning and packing of gear. That right outside my doorstep is an oasis of beauty. I will be doing this more often. With the days being longer now maybe I can make an evening "hike" part of my daily routine at least three days a week. Being near water and out in nature always gives me hope and inspires me to be all that I can be even when the uncertainty is unsettling. 

A Gift in Sean

Today my friend and I had planned to go hiking. She wanted to hike where she could get a view, I wanted to get some caches so I chose a spot in Ladysmith that would take us up to a lookout and then onto some old logging roads where there were lots of caches...not a pretty hike but it would fill both of our needs. 
Sadly, late last night, I received a phone call telling me of a middle aged man's sudden death. Sean was a man I had met through work about 10 years ago. He was a good man, a man who struggled in life and way too young to leave us. As I laid there thinking about Sean I knew our hiking plans had to change. I needed the trees, the quiet of the forest and some form of water. I needed to spend the day where I could connect with God and reflect on Sean and what he had brought to into my life. So when my friend arrived I told her of the change in plans. We would hike the 12 km Stocking Lake Loop, a bit of a view on the way up and lots of creeks, trees and peacefulness, it would be great and a hike we had wanted to do for some time. 

The first stream of many coming down the mountainsid

As we headed up the steep gravel path we came across many running streams. As we traveled deeper into the forest the creeks were surrounded with the deep green colour of the moss covering the rock and logs. The sights were so very beautiful to my eyes. 

Surrounded in beauty

As I stood by the creek I thought of Sean and all the gifts he had brought into the office. Although Sean had led a good life and worked hard he struggled with alcoholism, a terrible disease that affects so many people. Sean would faithfully show up every morning to see how things were with everyone at the church. If our caretaker needed a hand he would always be there willing to help steady the ladder or help with outside chores. He was always polite, always respectful and always had a story to tell. In days we were giving out pizza to those living on the street he would always make sure everyone had one before he would take his. Many times when I offered him one he would reply "Give it to someone who needs it, I will be okay"

The creek continually rushing downward

As I looked at the water rushing down stream I thought of the few things I actually knew about Sean, his pin and postcard collecting, his much loved cat and I wished I had spent more time with him but like the water rushing down the mountain side I am often rushing from one chore to the next in the busy office.
I knew this past year I had felt some frustration towards Sean and the fact that he continued to not be able to help himself. I hadn't always given him my full attention when he stopped in. It is a lesson I am continually learning it seems. Life is a gift, each person is a gift and we need to take the time to be with people and not let all the work and busyness interfere.

Looking out over the destruction at the ocean

We continued to hike and were surprised to find that the trail now had a huge view of the ocean because of the logging that was taking place on the hillside. We focused on the view and tried to pretend that we couldn't see all the destruction the logging had brought. Thankfully it will all be replanted and new growth will come.

Stocking Lake

Finally after two hours of climbing up we arrived at the peaceful lake. Such beauty brought calmness into our bodies. We stopped and I was so very thankful that we had decided to take this hike.

One  of the many beautiful views as we hiked around the lake

We hiked around the Lake finding wonderful little places to stop and breathe and just take in the quietness of the morning. 

A little hideaway we only found due to a cache that was hidden here.

Through the whole six hours we hiked we only met three or four other folks on the trail so we were able to chat but also share in moments of just listening to the silence of the forest.

The soft carpeted trail in among the cedar trees

 In some places the forest floor was so soft being built up with years of cedar tree decay. It was like walking on a soft carpet. There is something to be said for being out in nature and just observing. I am always so thankful for days on the trails. It gives me time to reflect on life and get away from the busyness it brings. 

A place up ahead to rest and just be in the moment

As we headed back down the mountain I gave thanks to Sean and all the gifts he brought into my life and the many others at the church. I am going to miss him in the morning when I return to work. There is going to be a void that will touch many people. 

A pathway leading us to ???

We never know where the pathways in life will take us. As my buddy tells me often, "Life can turn on a dime" and it is so very true. We need to make the most of every minute in life and take the time to build relationships with people and be there for them, through all the good times and all their struggles. 
Thank you Sean, for stopping by and asking how I was each day and thank you for today's hike. I felt your spirit hiking along with me today. I know you are at peace and no longer struggling - fly high!