A Break for Awe

Let’s stop to marvel at the miracle of mountains.

As you read this, I’m perched on a forested ridge above the Trinity River looking out into the mountains of far northern California. Way off the grid, where power comes from battery or generator, cell phones don’t work, and wifi is a faint rumor. Simply, there’s no better place.

One thing John Muir got so right is the awe wild places instill in souls dulled by the day-to-day. It’s more than escape. Mountains remind us of the wider, deeper reality we inhabit, this cosmic container where humans are but one among many beings and the earth itself breathes.

In that spirit, behold Waganupa (a.k.a. Mt. Lassen), the southernmost peak of the Cascades, bathed in September light.

Back at it next week, with the start of a series illuminating the genocide in California’s closet.