Great Awakening

My outlook has shifted drastically lately. Things have been snowballing in my mind and I believe in my spirit too this month. And as a result, I wake before dawn, without effort, every day. I have had a great change in perspective. But that is for another day. Not today. I will say that November 2020 has been a month of transformation. And 21 days into that month, I took a pleasurable hike up Black Star Canyon to Beek’s Place on The Main Divide. Round trip, including a couple of detours, totaled 16.5 miles which is quite a bit more than I’m used to lately. The climb was tough, but I did it in celebration of my great awakening.

People say that Black Star Canyon is haunted. I’ve never experienced or seen anything that looked like a haunting. The canyon surely doesn’t have an uplifting history with a terrible school bus accident, an infamous massacre in 1831 and other troubling activities in more recent times. I honestly don’t believe that it’s haunted. To be fair, I’m not sure I believe in hauntings all together. But I do believe in a spiritual world, and there may be something spiritual about the place. It is a place that I love, that’s for sure. Even though it’s just a switchback truck trail, the climb is a joyful struggle with spectacular views.

The morning of November 21 began quite cold, but it warmed up quickly, as soon as the steep climb out of the canyon began (at about mile 2.5). When the climb begins, it’s ruthless for about the next 3 miles. Just after the Mariposa Reserve sign, there’s an old Native American camp where you can see the holes in the rocks where they ground their food – perhaps acorns, as the area is covered with Oak Trees. I stopped at this spot for a while and sat at one of the large boulders overlooking the valley from which I had just climbed out. After that spot, there’s a descent down onto a lovely plateau where the hike becomes magical – an old isolated country road winding it’s way through scattered Oaks and yellowing Maples. The nice flat reprieve through the plateau is short lived however, ending with more climbing switchbacks to the final destination, Beek’s Place on The Main Divide. Of course, I spent much time at Beek’s place as I always do. But having left my home so early in the morning, I had plenty of time and did not need to worry about rushing back to make it out before dark. Even with the detours I was back at my truck by early afternoon. Of course, I arrived home wiped out.

Where Mariposa Reserve starts:Old “Indian” camp:The “plateau”:Looking back at the “plateau”:Beek’s Place: