Mount Washington
Mount Washington with Denise Withers and Blackie: We got to spend the last full day of our three and a half month journey with Denise and her dog pal Blackie (yes, the blonde pooch). We headed for the trails on Mount Washington, about 25 km from the Comox Valley.
As we drove up the road leading to the ski resort area there were spectacular views of the valley with the ocean, Gulf Islands and the distant mountains of the Coastal Range on the mainland. The terrain changed from pastoral to forest to alpine as we climbed. At road’s end there is a popular mountain lodge boasting great skiing and snow showing in the winter and hiking and mountain biking when the snows clear.
In September there is a wonderland of colour along the trails and boardwalks. Blueberry and huckleberry leaves serve up a full spectrum of colours – deep purple, reds, oranges, bright yellows and various shades. Willows, grasses and many other plant species grow along the small lakes, streams and marshy areas. They have a short growing season at this high altitude and snows come early here. So when the call goes out that the colours are showing hikers come from away and afar to drink in the autumn splendour.
Higher up the trails there are larger lakes and rock outcropping. The geology of the area is complicated and still puzzles the experts. One thing is clear though. The mountains are new. The fossil record indicates this was a tropical marine environment with sea turtles and other salt water animals – no trace of land based dinosaurs have been found for hundreds of miles around.
One geologist says that some sort of sea barrier separated the dinosaurs of the Alberta Badlands from Vancouver Island. Love the mystery and the geological detective work that goes into unraveling such mysteries.
One intriguing name you see on maps of the area is, Forbidden Plateau. I saw that evocative place name when I was in grade 7 or 8 and wrote a story about it. In my fevered imagination this was a lost world, a place lost in time filled with strange creatures, mysterious people and deep secrets. Like the book and movie, Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that I referred to in an earlier post when exploring the strange, otherworldly plateaus of the Niagara Escarpment. Well this hike ruined everything for me – not even one dinosaur tooth! And the origin of the Forbidden Plateau and the stories of wild tribes, evil spirits, hairy beasts and unsolved murders? Like, total bull, man. Apparently the overactive imagination of a local newspaper man and tourism booster. Total BSer – obviously a man with the same spurious literary aspirations as myself – only he got here first. Drats!!!But speaking of storytellers… let me tell you of our travel companion. No, not the blonde dog named Blackie. I’m still confused every time somebody calls her name. Besides that’s someone else’s story to tell. I’m speaking of Denise. Not only is she a fine hiking companion and a fountain of knowledge of the natural world which she is generous in sharing, but she is the genuine article (pun intended) a true storyteller who teaches others to find and live their own authentic story. As she explains her mission, “Why focus on stories? Because they’re the operating system that runs the world. Because stories control everything we think, say and do. Because the only way to change our beliefs and behaviour is to change our stories.”
For 35 years Denise she has worked an award-winning filmmaker, non-profit leader, and certified coach. Throughout her personal and professional life she has been refining her own story and her approach to personal, institutional and societal transformation – through storytelling. Now she teaches individuals, businesses and non-profit groups how to do the same – especially those who want to create a healthy planet. Wow! Just wow! What a wonderful way to close off our odyssey. Immersed in stories and storytelling. So much to ponder on over the winter months when the cold rains return and we build a fire and gather our friends together to share a few tall tales, maybe some actual true stories, possibly a couple of fibs and stretchers, and surely a lot of BS – I am from Alberta afterall. But before the story telling can proceed we also have to deal with the mundane and the practical, not exactly my forte. We have to break camp for the last time, taking our home for these many weeks and placing it in storage until the call for new nomadic adventures and fresh stories stirs once again. We hope to continue sharing and trading our stories with you. Thanks for joining us! Until tomorrow then…
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