The Surrendered Path

Have you ever seen nature reclaim one of man’s structures? Those photos you see of a cottage covered in grass and Ivy, where it’s naturally overgrown and you can see there was once a house there?

That’s how our first day felt. I found myself anxiously checking my phone the whole drive. I don’t know why? I was easily distracted, my mind like a squirrel jumping around from one thing to the next. Unsure that the spot we would arrive at just before sundown actually existed, realized we needed a campfire permit, and registered just before phone service was swallowed by nature for the day (we couldn’t burn fires anyhow at this stop, due to seasonal dry weather restrictions). I was checking everything I could about the next few days, while I could.

Just like that, phone service went to …. and the mountains, on the once flat drive with mountains in the far distance, were now upon us. We were at the base of the Sierras. We got our first exciting glimpse of Mt. Whitney due west.

When we headed west down Mount Whitney Portal Rd out of town, and made a right on Movie Rd. I scared our focused driver with an audible “WOOOOOOO!!!” It was contagious the beauty of this raw land and that our plan was working, we were going in the middle of nowhere and the location we were heading to ACTUALLY existed! We were here and the excitement filled the van.

Each road we went down was more “off road” than the last. The van was shaking and bumping with the 4×4 greatness you would expect. (Right about now I was so thankful we traded in ceramic bowls for big wooden salad bowls to eat out of) Parker was vacillating between delighted excitement and being out of her comfort zone, just not sure about it all. Beckham was happily excited loud babbling, so much so, we couldn’t hear ourselves talking between the baby and road noise and Parker’s occasional “Ahhhh I’m not going to look!!!” burying her head in her pillow she had been napping on hours earlier.

We turned a blind corner with a road just wide enough to do a 5 point turn around once or twice if we had to, only to find epic boulders and a perfect view of raw land. This is when we were all certain we found our campsite just ahead. We turned left off the road and pulled in, twice. Each time, setting a spray bottle on Parker’s table to see if it rolled off, trying to stop when it was level.

The doors flung open and Parker ran out barefoot exclaiming “This is so awesome!!! I’m so glad this is our life!!!” And running to play, with rocks just big enough for her to lift building a giant rock chair.

A few different cars passed by the main road. The first stopped and a Colorado typed cool hippy just saying hi appeared. He was asking about camping here because he had for years, but it seemed different there were more “day use only” signs the first mile in. We told him at the BLMgmt website and how they had some changes in 2022. And we were good to camp back here on the open land anywhere they haven’t posted was for day use only. Feeling good about those squirrel mind moments again, maybe my instincts were just acclimating. The second four runner passed by, arm waving out the window and he got a campsite opposite us about 50 yards and tucked in for the night. The vibe here and people using the land felt intoxicating.

Beckham squealed with delight as I lifted him from his car seat and handed him to dad, outside.

The energy was infectious. I remained inside once I felt I had soaked up enough of the breathtaking sunset that was showing off for our arrival. I begun filling the Berkey with water and converting the van for sleeping as the magnificent sunset lowering on Mt. Whitney, was lowering rapidly. We explored and played, Parker climbed boulders bigger than our van. The evening ended with throwing open the back doors to refuel with the best loaded salads (minus my grandpas) that we could get at Active Culture in San Clemente. They were tucked away in our fridge for this moment. (We knew takeout was mostly going to be a thing of the past, but it was perfect for our late arrival not to cook).

Our last night at Oma’s house in Ca, Parker begrudgingly brushed her teething while making sure we all knew “she hated brushing her teeth”. Last night when we opened the van door to find the most stunning night sky with piercing bright stars filling every inch of the sky we all exhaled and marveled. Parker brushed her teeth, eyes wide open taking it all in, enjoying every second. “This is the best night ever!”

We all slept well. Exhausted, slumber never felt so good. Parker’s bed deflated during the night and she came and crawled on me, whispering she had a cooler in her back and could she sleep here. It was just becoming freezing (I say that but it was mid 50s) so we curled up, Beckham on the other side and feel into a deeper sleep.

My first early morning views of the mountains and my sleeping family, kept me awake, even tho I could still easily sleep hours, it awoke my soul to enjoy this quiet moment. Hours later, when Marcus woke up next he told me he had caught the sunrise at 5am painting the mountains red.

We will spend the morning exploring and eating breakfast. Shortly after it will be time to gain some elevation as we head up to that Whitney Portal Campground. Another car with Marcus’ colleague plus his friends, will pull up to get some shuteye along side us. This next nightfall will result in Marcus and the guys leaving around 230am to hike Mt. Whitney. I will be alone with the kids for 12-20 hours depending on how they acclimate to the elevation and what path they find themselves.

This morning as we pop the van doors and breathe in the fresh air, listen to the quiet sounds of nature and the quiet sounds of people waking up and making coffee, stretching and chatting from our friends camping nearby. The feel of the energy here tells me we have started to be reclaimed by nature, over growing the city life habits we arrived wearing.