Or even a rock, a small creek,
-Gary Snyder, Piute Creek
The words of this poem inspired me to look closer at my surrounding. Whether your hike is 1465 miles or 2 miles it can be hard to tune into the small stuff. Daily, I passed millions of microcosmos on my trek of the Pacific Crest Trail.
The longer I was on trail the easier it became to overlook the immense beauty in the more subtle surroundings I passed, a colony of ants, a small river, the drops of snow melting into it a stream.
In an effort to truly observe my surroundings, whether it was the 14,410 foot Mt. Rainier or a half inch high ant hill, I began videoing what I saw. The result is my Pacific Crest Trail Documentary:
During my seventh week on trail I entered the Sierras. The vastness of it struck me deeply, but it also had a negative effect. I was so carried away by the vastness I often overlooked the more subtle nature.
Halfway through the week I ran into a photographer who helped shift my paradigm, you can read about how he did that in this blog post.
Sending my uncivilized love from civilization,
Slug
I watched this once (as a youtube vidoe) and then watched it again with quiet intention. That second time I just listened and watched, absorbing the quiet and the solitude that you endured (?) through your 1465 miles of travel. Without the distractions of modern life, everything – from the dung beetle to the drip of rain water – comes to life. There was no need for any extra sounds or words. Thanks for the thoughtful documentary.