This quote below was read aloud at a work meeting earlier this year by a lovely man named Sulaiman; thank you for sharing these words worth reflecting on. Gallery to follow features my 3 days up in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Sauntering
John Muir on Hiking
“Hiking – I don’t like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains – not hike! Do you know the origin of that word ‘saunter?’ It’s a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, “A la sainte terre,’ ‘To the Holy Land.’ And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not ‘hike’ through them.”
~ John Muir, quoted by Albert Palmer in A Parable of Sauntering
Truly, I sauntered through the mountains in Squaw Valley near Lake Tahoe last weekend; I was in constant awe of the greatness that surrounded me. I hope this inspires you to appreciate the nature around you more, if you don’t already; maybe don’t take just take a walk or a hike outside, but saunter about with your head held high. Remember to breathe it all in and exhale a bit of gratitude for all living things.
I can never get enough of this place! Thank you to my sauntering companion, Christian, for making the 4 mile trek (2750′ elevation gain) from the base camp at Squaw Valley up to over 8200′ at the top where we found High Camp. We took the Shirley Lake trail to the Solitude trail, for those of you who know this area well.
Have a lovely weekend 🙂
Renae Patrice McCollum 