In the canyon…at the pull-out next to the huge, familiar old pine tree. Just beyond it I can see the creek splashing against the boulders in its path. I have been called here this day. From the moment I awoke in the early morning twilight I felt the irresistible pull. For hours I battled strong downslope gusts blowing off the mountains to get here.
Without a moment of hesitation I leave the car and walk to the edge of the creek. I feel a subtle, yet immense energy building around me. From far up the canyon I hear a sound I recognize as that of the approaching wind. In a heartbeat it arrives, roaring and shrieking through the forest. It blows sheets of water off the surface of the creek, soaking the tree trunks nearby. Yet, curiously, only a faint breeze stirs my hair. A soft sound says, “Ah…you are here. May we merge for a bit?”
“Yes,” I whisper. Looking forward to whatever is to come I willingly embrace the benevolent Spirit Of The Wind for I know I will not be harmed. It wraps around me and ever so gently lifts me.
Suddenly we are in the downslope flow as it roars out of the canyon mouth, following the creek to an expansive lake. Dipping down we skim the surface and whip the water into a roiling froth of white capped waves.
Moving from the lake we cross an alkali flat and fill the surrounding land with a billowing cloud of fine white dust. In the midst of this cloud a large vortex forms. Joining this whirlwind we rise heavenward as if in a high speed elevator.
We top out and join another strong circulation that carries us back over the mountains. Below are dozens of small lakes I never realized existed. In the noonday sun they sparkle and shine like treasure troves of diamonds.
We enter a downdraft and quickly descend. In the upper reaches of the canyon we are compressed into a howling stream of incredibly fast moving air. Trees bend and whip as we blow through them, yet amazingly they survive the onslaught.
Suddenly, my wild ride is over. I thank the Spirit Of The Wind and open my eyes to a wildly thrashing forest. Small tree limbs are raining down and pine cones are flying through the air like missiles. I make haste to return to the car and leave the canyon promptly for it is no longer a safe place for a physical body to be.
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