May 26th Update

Today was a personal training walk for me… 8 miles on a trail outside Oakridge, Oregon, through second growth and old growth forests, some areas recently ravaged by fires, some totally untouched and pristine. At one point, we rounded a corner and stepped into a meadow filled with wildflowers - we were overlooking the Sisters, Mt. Bachelor, and Diamond Peak all at the same time, the vista truly breathtaking. I thought to myself that 8 miles goes quickly when you have such beautiful views to take in from time to time. Eight miles took us four hours, even with breaks for water, snacks, and a climb up into the nook of the most perfect maple tree. That pencils out to approximately 10 hours each day on the walk dedicated to putting one foot in front of the other. It’s a simple task - life in pilgrimage strips away much of the extraneous noise and brings you to your senses - you become far more viscerally aquainted with your eyes, ears, skin, perception and proprioception…

Wildflowers blooming all along the trail

Wilbur is a very good boi

Diamond Peak peaking out of the clouds at us!

While talking with a group of clergy recently about Liberty Walks, in the hopes of spreading the word and getting more people involved, I was trying to describe what it felt like before going on pilgrimage back in 2018 when I walked the camino, compared to how I felt after having accomplished my goal in that pilgrimage. Truly the best way to describe the change that took place over the course of that experience was that every part of me - body, mind, and spirit - was strengthened by undertaking that experience. Today, while hiking, I just kept thinking about that idea - that by moving through the world in this way, every part of us is fed, fortified, and strengthened.

Going where the trail leads...

Today, I was feeling so lucky to share the day with my husband and my dog, all of us happy to be outside and exploring the world together. We are so lucky to live in this beautiful place - we have so many raw and untouched (or lightly touched) wild places in this great country of ours. I am getting pretty excited to get out on the road with all of you. I hope your training is going well, and that you are feeling as hopeful, emboldened, and determined as I am currently - it’s a good feeling!

In other news, the fundraising letter is going out, and we are hopeful that our efforts will afford us a support vehicle. We are in need of drivers who are willing and wanting to come alongside in a capacity other than walking. A “job” description will be forthcoming and we’ll be spreading the word to try and fill that role in the coming days. In the meantime, enjoy a few snaps from the Tire Mountain Trail! Onward!

❤️

Kate