by Molly McCahan
“…I think it makes a huge difference, when you wake in the morning and come out of your house, whether you believe you’re walking into dead geographical location, which is used to get to a destination, or whether you’re emerging out into a landscape that is just as much if not more alive as you, but in a totally different form, and if you go towards it with an open heart and a real, watchful reverence, that you will be absolutely amazed at what it will reveal to you…What amazes me about landscape, landscape recalls you into a mindful mode of stillness, solitude, and silence, where you can truly receive time.”
(“John O’Donohue — The Inner Landscape of Beauty”)
Everything at EPC changed once I met Ryan, and through Ryan, Sean. Ryan and Sean were roommates from Ohio who were meeting a crew of friends down at EPC for a week of climbing multi-pitch. Ryan and I hit up a multi-pitch called TNT, a five pitch 10a. I ended up leading the 10a pitch,…
I had my first exposure to language submersion on my second day in San Juan del Sur. My two Spanish speaking friends and I decided to take a walk up the hill to where Jesus stood looking out over the small city. The night before we had befriended a couple from Argentina, Chaly and Nati.…
September 8th and 9th Lake Louise A hike was in order. I left Canmore and drove the beautiful Route 1 to Lake Louise, where, despite the sun in Canmore, it was even colder and stormier than the previous few days combined. There, I went up and joined the throngs of people getting their picture taken…
I will unfortunately not be able to provide maps of my final dispatch from the Grand Staircase today, but I will try to update again later once I have access to my mapping program. Honestly, though, the walk out to Phipp’s Arch is a bit of a local’s secret, and I don’t want to give…
Another dispatch from the Grand Staircase, and it’s a classic. Lower Calf Creek Falls is probably the most well known, easy to find, easy to navigate trail/destination in the National Monument. It’s where the locals will tell you to go if they size you up as a tourist. I’ve driven passed the trail head the…
Another trail dispatch this week! I’ll make it quick because this trail was rather straight forward. The Grand Staircase National Monument has two general bio spheres. There is the low, hot canyon lands and the high, chilly mountain gulches. The area surrounding Hole-in-the-Rock Road is mostly hot, dry canyon lands, whereas the area surrounding Hell’s…
by Molly McCahan