Peace and beauty of the mountains inspires the spirit
I have always lived in the mountains.
I grew up in a beautiful, green valley an hour north of Vancouver. It's the same valley, in fact, where my mother and her mother spent most of their lives. The coastal range of mountains in B.C. is not as rugged as the Canadian Rockies, but has its own beauty and feeling. A lot of that feeling was, how shall I say…damp - it rains a lot on the west coast of British Columbia.
The mountains in Canmore and the Bow Valley have felt like home almost from the moment I unpacked my bags here, and not just a little bit because they are familiar surroundings. These rugged mountains offer a kind of protection and escape from the rest of the world for many people I've met here. The idea of escape in a spectacular natural setting also attracts people from all over the world for visits that start out as a few days of R&R and turn into a lifetime.
At home somewhere I have a poster-size photograph of a mountain from my hometown in Squamish, B.C. called the Stawamus Chief. The Chief is a huge granite monolith second in size only to Gibraltar off the coast of Spain, and attracts legions of rock climbers to the world famous climbing routes that span its impressive face.
I'm not a climber, but I love this photo and that mountain for a number of reasons.
One summer evening, I hiked up the Chief's back route with three girlfriends - one of whom brought her three-month-old baby girl - to sleep outside overnight under the full moon. As we sat under that moon on the smooth, sun-warmed rock, sipping hot tea and looking out over the ocean below, it wasn't hard to understand why the First Nations people of the area consider the Chief as deeply significant to their legends and culture.
A few years later I was fortunate to be involved on a special committee that was successful in seeking provincial park status for the Chief - protecting this beautiful landmark forever. I will never forget the lump in my throat and the tears in my eyes at the special dedication ceremony for the new Stawamus Chief Park.
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The poster I have at home was created for this dedication, and is inscribed with the following quote: "Since the dawn of time, mountains have been home to our spirits." People who spend time in the mountains, and who do so, in part, for reasons of the spirit, can certainly relate to this quote.
At this special time of the year, I think many people give a lot more thought than usual to the meaning of spirit. While gifts and feasting and parties, fancy clothes and gorgeous décor are all wonderful elements of the season, there is more to it than that.
On a cold, starry winter night in the Canadian Rockies, whether you've lived here all your life or just arrived for a holiday visit with your family, the mountains will remind you to take time for your spirit - recharge it, quiet it, renew it, maybe just give it some fresh air and a different perspective.
Here's wishing you many moments of joy and happiness, good health and the peace that can be found in the beauty of the mountains all through the new year ahead.
- Shari Bishop Bowes, Editor, SolaraLife
We welcome your comments and suggestions, as well as submissions from freelance writers who have a passion for the Canadian Rockies. Contact us at contact@solaralife.com
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