[McPilchuck]

Nirvana Falls Visit Apr. 9, 2004 http://www.alpinequest.com/nirvanafalls3.jpg Through the virgin conifer forest and along a dashing stream I traveled. My footsteps seemed in tune with the forest and stream life at hand: the water ouzels that dip and pray, the wafting of the ferns in the morning breeze, the croak of the frog as I neared, as well as the tracks that the deer made in the sand along my route. As a wheedle, I was being influenced and persuaded by my surroundings to go further. With water waders on and backpack filled with camera gear, I proceeded up the enchanting emerald-waters of the unnamed creek I had sought out. An impending blue-hued sky above looked down upon me as I traveled to where I knew the splendid waterfalls would be had, having been there with once before with good friend Mark Boyle long ago. Getting there required several stream crossings and some cliff negations amid the slippery moss and ferns that clung to the canyon walls. At one point, I almost drew out the climbing rope therefrom my pack to navigate a precipitous place. Hazardous in places to say the least! But as for me, I have always felt extremely comfortable in the wilds whether that be alone or with friends. And as with my father and grandfather before me, the wanderlust has been passed -- an inert nature I cannot hide from. Aside but related, as with living an outdoor life, being in nature is what you make it, and in my 50s today I am not about to stop doing what I love best even if it means from time to time going alone into the wilds. And in my quest for "wander" I am content to be a part of nature, not against her. At any rate, eventually with the constant roar of the stream echoing about in my ears, I stood face to face with "Nirvana Falls." It poured about 35-50 feet over the cleft in the canyon, which blocked all migration of anadromous fish, and created a huge deep-green pool at its base -- its depth unfathomable by me. In awe, I sat in silence, only stirred from time to time by the lifting of the camera with tripod and the sound of the shutter release clicking the picture. Here, I couldn't help but reflect on the picturesque scene before me...truly the falls and this hidden place had significance! I felt as if I belong here at this moment in time, that my soul was being absorbed wholly into the wildness of it all. And though many parts of the world are in strife today, I had been drawn here to see the beauty of the world, wheedled as it were along the way. As with nature's loverly face, obscure wild places sometimes bring out the best thoughts and feelings in people, to that degree I am no exception. I felt blessed to be far from war and death, far from want of hunger, far from politics, and far from the everyday "working for the man" or the corporate discourse that takes place throughout most days. And as I sat there witnessing the tranquil beauty of the roaring falls and surrounding canyon walls, I felt no need to have or want more . . . note: some say the falls has no name, others say it's just named after the stream itself, that may be indeed true, but surely it has the essence of linking "Nirvana" to ones soul if that door is open... Ken James McLeod (McPil)