So, I ventured into the aptly named Grizzly Den Provincial Park once again this murky fall season. I drove with one eye on the road, one eye on the rain and one eye on the approaching mountain tops to scan for snow accumulation.
Having that third eye helps.
Once I arrived at the turn off, I gathered some thoughts and decided that it was worth it. I saw wispy white clearings in the ranges above and knew what awaited. But, come on......it was a 5km hike and not too much in terms of elevation gain. I wasn't going to kill myself on this hike. This was just a small one to get me sweating and into nature before I prepared for an evening full of Astronomy chatter at (my first!) the RASC Annual Meeting. Regardless, I was thinking of a nice swift tromp up to the alpine and back without event.
But come on....this is me, and I can somehow turn buying ice cream into a dangerous event. So, danger ensued. Slight danger. Not "I almost died" danger, but "that was stupid" danger.
The Set-Up: Hiking trail that is well used but loses itself in the high alpine as there is no real trail, but km's of non-descript small spruce and fir trees dotting the landscape. At the end of the trail, a cabin and a lake (Raven Lake).
The Swing: I start walking. The snow starts. I get the first sweat-chill and know I should have brought more clothes. Whatever. I trudge on. Up. Up. Up. Up. Out - out of the forest and into the tundra-esque alpine region. I continue beyond my comfort zone into the now blizzard like conditions and scramble my way up and down the land, across a swamp and up to the clearing that opens up to offer a cabin. Rustic, rudimentary cabin. Rarely would I look forward to a cabin on a regular hike, but I needed respite from the conditions - snow was getting in my everywhere.
The Follow Through: Time to go back. No trail. Tracks covered by wind and snow. No tracks.
No trail.
No clue which way is home. Blizzard in full swing these many km's away from my parked car and my victory beer, and I cant see anything. No trail, no footprints (the snow here was about 20cm deep (base) and a whisp of about 5 cm on top of that, newly fallen - that is about 3.54 and a 1/16 horse teeth for you imperial types...you know who you are).
The Lessons:
#1 - don't hike alone
#2 - don't hike alone in the snow without proper gear
#3 - don't hike in the alpine without leaving a proper trail for yourself when it is snowing, let alone a blizzard
#4 - bring more cheese because your going to get hungrier than you think
And the most important lesson learned today?
#5 - When lost in the snowy alpine, alone, in a blizzard, with no trail to follow...just wander about. Something will work out. Hopefully.
But it did. I got to have my beer and pause in relief at the end of the trail, as the blizzard followed me all the way down the mountain and the snow vetted my realization that winter was in Prince George.
Above: Click on this to see a damn fine video of Raven lake during a break in the blizzard. Sort of. Remember, this is an alpine lake, rare at best around here. Seeing such a large body of water so high up was a startling vista.The wind actually died for a short while as I was leaving and I could glimpse fantastic geology across the lake - a lithographic twist that is obvious. The perfect fold, perhaps. Ill try to get more of it on a return trip someday.
Below: Me, in the gleeful pose that indicates my pleasure with the cold. I was, actually, pleased with the hike. I knew the trail I blazed woudl be gone at this point, and worries stopped my enjoyment a little. I hurried through the "pleasure" emotion of being there, and focused on the "oh, F**k" emotion of thinking about getting home!
Actually, in reality it was beautiful and after the scary moments and the frightful thoughts, I was reassured by the beauty and calm that the alpine always brings. It is so freaking nice to be there. So, absolutely, gratefully wonderful to be on foot and away from everything. Alone, in the mountains - life becomes real.
1 comment:
*Amazing;What God Has Made!
Does God Exist? The other day I was asked to prove the existence of God. It was a one-on-one conversation with a skeptical friend, who somehow thrust the burden of proof on me. He didn’t want the religious, moral or philosophical arguments -- He wanted the scientific “proof.”
When it comes to the question, “Does God Exist,” there are really only two possible conclusions: God either is, or He isn’t. There’s no half-way. There’s no sliding scale. Whether you’re an atheist or whether you’re a theist, there’s a certain level of knowledge, and there’s a certain level of faith.
I thought for a moment… Can I prove the existence of God -- scientifically? In my religious/moral/philosophical experience, He’s been proven to me. However, my friend hasn’t walked the same journey as me. He wants the facts -- he wants the naturalistic proof for a supernatural reality.
I came to the conclusion that my friend’s question was a fair one. He deserved my best attempt at an answer. So, I gave it a shot.
God may not be provable through mathematical formulae or properties of physics, but we live in an era where the evidence of an Intelligent Designer is all around us. Just look through the Hubble Telescope and peer to the edge of the massive cosmos. View the monitor of an electron-scanning microscope and delve into the intricate world of a microscopic cell. Try to comprehend the massive library of complex information inherent in the digital code that turns a fertilized egg into a human being. Study principles of quantum mechanics and investigate the world of extra-dimensionality. Review the nature of your conscience, subconscious, standards of morality, and thoughts of religion. Then, try to reconcile all of these realities with a basic theory of randomness and chaos.
Based on what we know today, I truly believe that atheism (not believing in any kind of god) is a much bigger "leap of faith" than theism (believing that some kind of god exists).
I asked my friend, “Have you really thought about some of the evidences for God? Or, are you presupposing a purely naturalistic world, and closing your eyes to some of the possible evidence? If I propose some observational evidence, are you even open to examining it?”
My friend asked me to go on. So, here’s my attempt at some basic scientific observations that point to God:
*Causation. God provides the best explanation for the existence of the universe and all that's in it. (The alternative theory is that "nothing" exploded and resulted in everything that we see.)
*Order. God provides the best explanation for abstract notions such as numbers, mathematical formulae, chemical-based processes, and natural laws. (The alternative theory is that the chaotic first elements ordered themselves into complex information systems.)
*Design. God provides the best explanation for the absolute complexity inherent in cosmological, stellar, planetary, chemical and biological systems. (The alternative theory is that random chance engineered apparent design.)
*Encoded Instructions. God provides the best explanation for the digital DNA code contained in and controlling the functions of all life on earth. (The alternative theory is that complex code, such as binary code running computers, can pop into existence without any kind of programming, testing and debugging process.)
*Irreducible Complexity. God provides the best explanation for fully functioning biological organisms, systems, and subsystems that couldn’t come about through gradual evolutionary process without totally ceasing to exist at lower, evolutionary levels. (The alternative theory is that biological systems took huge, unseen leaps from simple to complex without any guided process or forward-looking instructions.)
*Duality. God provides the best explanation for the separate human functions of brain and conscience (matter and mind). (The alternative theory is monism -- only matter exists and the human brain only appears to have a separate subconscious ability.)
*Morality. God provides the best explanation for the existence of love, emotion, altruism, and inherent moral/ethical values throughout the world. (The alternative theory is that unguided materialistic processes evolve higher human consciousness.)
*Does God Exist – A Scientific Conclusion.
When it comes to the question of “Does God Exist,” there are only two scientific worldviews -- Someone/Something did it, or it did itself. Whether it’s the beginning of the cosmos or the beginning of life, the beginning of mankind or the beginning of mind, either Someone/Something is responsible for everything we see or it’s responsible for itself.
“Does God Exist?” Is this really a question for science at all? Actually, it seems this is a matter of forensic science, since we can’t re-create the birth of the universe or the formation of first life in a laboratory. Therefore, we collect the observable evidence in our world and apply our forensic investigation skills to analyze its collective meaning. In the end, we all need to collect and examine the evidence for ourselves. Ultimately, whether couched as scientific inquiry or purely religious/moral/philosophical faith, it’s not a matter for the laboratory. It’s a personal, investigative decision for each and every one of us.
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