Mountains have always been a big part of my life. From backpacking for days amongst the Alaskan peaks, to a drive-up campground with a view, they have always been my peace, my meditation.
We arrived in Mt. Haggin wilderness area midday to a dispersed campsite with a view of the valley and the snowy peaks that rose above. It wasn’t until the next evening that I realized what a special place it would be for me. After a long day of work building beaver dam analogues with the Big Hole Watershed Committee, I took my notebook, my reader, and my CrazyCreek chair to an open spot in front of the camp and sat down to get some work done. Once completed, I looked up only to see one of the most spectacular views I have had the pleasure of seeing. A snowy tipped mountain peak rose above the valley with a backdrop of a sky painted with every orange and pink shade on the spectrum. There was nothing particularly special about this peak, but what made it so spectacular was the moment it was placed in.
I inhaled and exhaled, touching the vegetation beside me with just the tips of my fingers, and listened to the silence that the space around me held. As the colors in the sky shifted slowly to a darker shade, encapsulating the ever changing, beautiful nature this planet contains, I realized where I was. I was exactly where I wanted to be. The fieldwork and discussions I have had the opportunity to be a part of, the friendships I have been able to build, and the tranquility I hold within myself when in places like Mt. Haggin, and, more specifically, moments like the one I had there. The sun felt like it took it upon itself to have an extensively long sunset that night, somehow illuminating that peak for what felt like just me.
I spent about an hour in silence, just looking, listening, and feeling that moment. As I gazed upon the mountain and vast landscape in front of me, it made me feel small, but not insignificant. Nature is my church, where I find my faith. In moments like the one in Mt. Haggin, I find reason, peace, and a deep breath of fresh air that human society does not give me. I always strive to live, not just exist, and that means being conscious and one with my surroundings. Every bit of stress left me, releasing from my body with each breath I took. I felt gratitude for learning, for loving, for myself, and for the opportunities I have taken to get me to this exact moment.
