Cairns in the wild.

Some years back I had an experience while on trail at Yosemite where the route I was following transitioned from dirt to granite and I quickly got twisted around. The amount of long hikes I had taken could be numbered on one hand at that point and so I was accustomed only to a clearly defined trail stomped into the earth by all the feet that had gone before me. I began to search the ground for any clues, knowing the general direction the trail was meant to take, when I saw a small stack of rocks, a little tower not too far away. Obviously not naturally occurring, I walked towards it, and in doing so I saw another stack of rocks further ahead… and that is when I realized these little stacks of rocks, cairns, were meant to guide me along the trail. I immediately fell in love with this new reality of trail-blazing.

Cairns in the wild.

I love the imagery of marking a path, a way for others to follow if they desire it, a way for you to retrace your own steps should you need it.

This is the essence of what this blog is about for me – sharing the little bits. Going over the bits that I have encountered, sharing the bits that have lead me along through this wild life, bits that others have built to guide. I’m not the first to walk this trail, and I won’t be the last…