Curt & Mary just finished packing the raft

A blinding flash filled the sky, lighting the inside of our tent. A loud crack followed, and thunder rocked the canyon. My daughter Heather muffled a scream. The flashes came so close together you’d think it was light out, if not for the intense darkness between the flashes. I stared out the screen window, in case a bear would be so foolish as to venture out in this storm. Nothing seemed to be there, so I laid back down next to my wife Mary and thought about how easy our day must have been compared to my lives in the ancient Roman and Greek armies. Now that must have been tough, marching around with all that armor, fierce battles, bloody wounds, supply shortages and tents without floors. Just imagine all the insect bites. 

Big snake slithering through camp

In contrast, the first day of our Salmon River rafting trip hadn’t been so bad. For my teenage daughter Heather, the excitement may have started at the Hammer Creek boat launch, where her arachnophobic “spider spotting eyes” noticed a black widow on a nearby rock. Or maybe for her, the adventure started the night before, when we arrived at a run-down motel in the middle of the night, reminding her of the “Psycho,” or the many other horror movies she’s watched. She even got to stand guard, in the fold-out bed next to the front door. 

What did we get ourselves into?

Our day’s adventures also included sunny 100° heat, challenging whitewater, a broken flashlight, another big spider on our tent and a large snake that made it’s way through our camp as darkness approached. We were camped in rattlesnake country, however I believe that one was a Bullsnake. They look similar to me. This was also bear and mountain lion country, as if the spiders and snakes weren’t enough. Probably the worst hardship of the day was climbing into the tent exhausted and feeling like you’ve stepped into an oven. That 100 ̊ heat soaked into the sand all day, and our tent just held it in and radiated it back at us. Besides all that, I was sore from rowing all day. 

Sunset Over Camp - Did I see a spider under that bush?

These potential dangers reminded me of how vulnerable humans are, and yet how much we can really endure. I reached over my wife, patted my daughter’s shoulder and told her that everything would be fine. The storm would be over soon. At that moment, my wife and daughter were both probably wondering why they let me talk them into this torturous trip. In my Rafting the Snake River story, I mentioned the pile of rafting gear that sat in the garage for years, due to my inability to convince my family to go on such trips. Here they were, finally facing the challenge, and how are they rewarded? Spiders, snakes, heat and a thunderstorm. Good luck getting them to go again. 

Soon enough, the storm ended, and the temperature cooled down to tolerable sleeping weather. 

Making our way down river

The next morning, we packed our wet sandy gear in a disorganized fashion, as items had been thrown into the nearest bag available, when the rain started. With everything packed into dry bags and strapped into place, we set off down the river to continue our 72-mile whitewater adventure. 

In the morning, we set off down a dim and mysterious Cougar  Canyon, where big gurgling whirlpools and swirls would suddenly form. Did I mention the giant White Sturgeon in the Salmon River, which can grow over 100 years old and reach 20 feet in length. It was easy to imagine them lurking under the swirling water of the canyon. 

A Big Whitewater Hole

Along with beautiful white sand beach campsites and giant Sturgeon, the Lower Salmon River has steep canyons, thrilling rapids and calm-water stretches in-between. In the rapids, much of the goal is to avoid hitting big boulders and holes. For you non-river people, a hole (hydraulic) is created when water pours over a rock ledge and flows back at the surface, causing that frothing white turbulence. A big hole can grab hold of a raft, turn it sideways, and flip it over, as water piles down on one side while lifting up the other side. A large enough hole can also hold onto rafts and people, churning them like a washing machine. This was something we didn’t care to experience, so we diligently practiced our maneuvering skills. 

Punching through a wave

Our hardest whitewater that morning goes by the name “Half and Half Rapids.” The river map warns, “So called because half the time you make it. …big holes to avoid and maneuvering is required.” We dropped down a ledge and pushed through a small hole. Quickly, we pulled hard to the left to miss a car-sized boulder and a huge hole to the right. From there, we had a bouncy ride down a string of waves.  

Snow Hole Rapids- Yes, There's a raft under them.

Three rapids later, we came to Snow Hole Rapids, a major class IV drop. Lucky for us, another group  was there to scout the rapids when we arrived. We watched, as each of them hit a car-sized boulder sideways, plummeted down a drop and made their way between enormous boulders and holes, riding through rollercoaster waves. 

We followed right behind, hitting a pillow of water at the top boulder. It straightened us out as we plunged down the drop. We hit some big waves and soon reached the bottom of Snow Hole, wet but safe.  

Maloney Creek Camp

That night, we camped five miles into Snow Hole Canyon, at Maloney Creek. At this camp, I suggested setting up our kitchen near the river, rather than hauling all of our gear and cooler all the way up the sand dune. It saved a lot of work, kept our tent from smelling like bear bait and avoided the blowing sand that seemed to get through our tent screens. 

I panned for gold, and had no luck, while Mary fished. She  caught two fish with her first three casts. After one more fish, her luck slowed down. Our tent still felt hot, but the situation didn’t remind me of life in the Roman Army, that night. It seemed much more survivable. 

Packing the raft went much smoother, the next day. We found ourselves working well as a team, both in camp and in the rapids. We made a smooth run down China Rapids, a tough class III, and plowed into a big wave/hole in Eagle Creek Rapids. 

Salmon River Gravel Bar

A large gravel bar beckoned me, as a place to look for garnets or gems. Idaho’s nickname is the gem state after all. While I wondered in one direction, looking for agates or garnets, Heather grabbed the fishing rod and proceeded to cast. She soon had a nice sized smallmouth bass. 

In the meantime, Mary used her psychic abilities to ask a spirit guide for help locating a nugget of gold. He told her to follow the shore downstream for twelve feet. His next instruction was to go inland for eight feet. Mary reached that point and looked around, asking “now what?” His final instruction was “down fifty feet.” Ha ha! Yes, spirit guides do have a sense of humor. He probably was telling the truth too. In studying prospecting, that’s just where I’d expect gold to be, at the bottom of the pile where you can’t reach it. 

As we made our way down the river that afternoon, we found the nice campsites occupied by large parties of rafters. Kerry, the friend I’d rafted the Snake River with, had recommended a camp near the entrance to Blue Canyon. I really hoped to get that camp, but our chance of finding it available seemed dim. As the river narrowed, we stayed close to the cliffs on the right side of the canyon and hit a small eddy, at the bottom of a white sand beach. What a beautiful spot, and no one was there. A small alcove in the cliff made a great kitchen, with another alcove for sitting. 

Comfortable Camping

That afternoon, we swam in the eddy, watched the changing light on the nearby peaks and had a delicious dinner of bass, brats and veggies. Mary and Heather laughed and screamed, running from a butterfly that followed them relentlessly. Later, we watched the changing light in the canyon and surrounding peaks, while listening to the steady sound of the rapids. For the first time, we got out our fire pan and built a small fire, sitting in one of the cliff’s alcoves. It crossed my mind, that I could almost live in that campsite. 

Had conditions on the river changed that much? Or had we adapted? Our kitchen gear now sat next to the raft, and we knew where everything belonged. The tent sat pitched away from rock piles which hold the spiders and snakes. All of our gear was ready, in case of a sudden storm. Maybe the biggest change was that we’d already faced plenty of challenges on the river. We had found that we can survive, and had a great deal of fun in the process. 

The final day, we worked as a team, rowing and paddling through at least 15 sets of rapids, covering 25 miles of river, with 20 of it on the Snake River. Long stretches of the Snake River were calm, with a stiff headwind. Rowing into a headwind makes a raft feel like a big, oddly shaped balloon. In other words, it’s not that much fun. We pushed on, mile after mile, with barely a complaint from anyone, taking in the scenery and enjoying the occasional rapids with some eight foot waves. We reached the takeout around five pm and loaded our gear into our truck. 

It was a long hard day, once again reminding me of marching in armor, in the Roman army. But by the end of the trip, we were tougher and more up to the challenge, having learned that we can survive major rapids, spiders, snakes, thunderstorms, miles of rowing and more. Not only that, but by facing these challenges, we gained strength and confidence in our abilities. We also saw some beautiful scenery and share some wonderful time together. Maybe life in the Roman army wasn’t so bad after all. 

View across from our final Salmon River camp

Powerful Being of Light Visualization Meditation 

 You are an eternal and powerful spiritual being. You’ve also undoubtedly endured some very difficult lives and may have been part of the Roman or Greek armies. Through life’s challenges and difficulties, we experience our greatest growth. Yet in our current life, many of us surround ourselves with modern conveniences and tend to stay well within our comfort zones, missing out on a lot of wonderful experiences. Many of us stay in a small comfort zone because we lack the confidence to push our limits. 

This meditation exercise will strenghthen your sense of true inner power, providing the confidence to venture out and explore your growth zone. With this confidence, you may wish to try new things, like camping, signing up for a class or joining a new group. For me, Toastmasters and public speaking required a big push beyond my usual comfort zone. 

Grounding and running your energies are an important part of this exercise and are very powerful meditation techniques that you can use every day. If you’re not familar with these exercises, please take the time to read them. 

Once you’re comfortably seated, with your eyes closed and your energy running, visualize yourself as an entity of light. This is your true spiritual state. As more bright light pours in through the top of your head, feel it expand your strength and power. You might visualize yourself becoming bigger or brighter. Know and understand that as a spirit, you are eternal and powerful, capable of manifesting great things. Feel this strength continue to grow. When you finish your meditation, carry this strength with you, as you try new things and face life’s many challenges. 

Warning 

Although your spirit is eternal, your physical body is not. If you do not have whitewater experience, please raft with someone that does or sign up with a competent rafting outfitter. Although my family and I had not done a multi-day rafting trip together before this, I did have extensive whitewater experience. Mary and Heather had been on numerous whitewater daytrips and many camping trips.

Curt kayaking a river

There are four ways to swim a river:

1. Look downstream in terror, then thrash around, maybe even trying to swim upstream to get away from all those scary boulders you’re being hurled towards. This technique will exhaust you in a hurry and certainly won’t help you reach safety or happiness. People that go through life this way probably haven’t chosen a practical course of action and may go from one emergency to another.
2. Float downstream without a care, and get swept under a big submerged tree (strainer) or bashed into boulders. This can result in injury or drowning and is usually a bad idea. You can usually find this type of swimmer at home, laying on the couch. This is a relaxing way to go through life, but you can’t get much done from the couch. It may make it hard to pay the bills or to accomplish great things.
3. Decide on a logical destination, then swim frantically downstream to get there as fast as possible. I often use this technique in life, and it is not the best idea. It uses a lot of energy and can leave you feeling stressed out and tired.
4. The swimming technique that works best in a river, and in life, is to pick a logical course that takes advantage of the river’s currents and eddies (watch for opportunities). Commit to your chosen path, then let the river do a lot of the work for you. When it’s appropriate, swim some powerful, efficient strokes and arrive at your destination safely and happily, often more quickly than the person who used technique number three. You might still bump against a boulder or two along the way, but that’s part of swimming a whitewater river, and of life.

Snake River, Idaho

How do we swim more like Number Four?

• When an opportunity comes along that will bring more fulfillment into your life, face any fears and take action. This could mean changing careers, starting a business, furthering your education or initiating a new relationship.
• Make a plan and work towards that plan. This one might seem obvious, but an awful lot of people seem to wander through life with no direction. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there.
• Remember that some of life’s hardships (boulders) are opportunities to learn. No matter what we do, life won’t be perfect. Instead of focusing on the hardships, focus on what’s positive in life. The law of attraction says that we attract more of what we focus our attention on. 
• When you’re moving along with the current, go ahead and float a while. Too much effort causes stress, and it can actually be a block to creativity and accessing psychic abilities.
• Have fun! Be sure that you take the time to do things you really enjoy doing.
• Meditate! It gives your mind and body a chance to relax, to be in the present, so you can go with the flow and not be thrown off by the hazards we all tend to come across along the way. Through meditation, you can also access your intuition and psychic abilities, so as to better recognize good opportunities. Meditation helps us connect with our higher self, that wiser spiritual part of us that already knows the best way to do things.

My inspiration for this article came to me as a psychic (clairvoyant) image, while I was meditating, looking for a new visualization exercise. It came as a message that I need to quit swimming like number three, inefficiently racing downstream with too many projects going at once. What came to me is described below, as a meditation that you can try at home.

MacDonald Creek, Glacier Park, Montana

River Visualization Meditation

Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit. Take a few deep breaths, and close your eyes. It’s always helpful to start with grounding and running your energies. Once you’re relaxed and ready, imagine a clear, clean river flowing in front of you. Raging whitewater doesn’t sound very relaxing, so I recommend that you imagine a gentler river with soothing currents to carry you downstream. Most of the way, you can float on your back.

If there are obstacles ahead of you? What do they represent? Let go of any fear, and take a few smooth strokes to get around them. Observe all of the detail. What does the shoreline look like? Is it lined with boulders, canyon walls or sand? Are there buildings or wildlife? Where would you like the river to take you? Go ahead and visualize the destination you’d like to get to. Float as long as you’d like, swimming occasionally to stay on course. Once you’re ready, gently finish your meditation or imagine climbing out at your destination to end your river trip.

Dragonfly on Flowers

Arctic Wolf

I had a new perspective, after a day at the Vancouver, BC Zoo, which is spread out and more like a wild animal park. I visited on midweek, in the middle of winter and saw only a handful of other visitors. At the Arctic Wolf display, the dominant wolf walked laps around the enclosure. Once he noticed me, he walked over and looked up, holding my gaze. I felt an incredible connection, as we psychically communicated. He posed for a few pictures, then trotted 50 feet away and began howling. Soon, the other Arctic Wolves joined in. Shortly after that, another group of wolves (Vancouver Island Wolves) joined in the chorus from a quarter mile away. They all continued with their song, as if they were sharing their love and longing for the outdoors, especially the wild places. Not only did I have an incredibly memorable moment, but I got some great pictures, one of which is on the back of my business card.

Howling Arctic Wolf

Spending time seeking photos in nature is a wonderful form of mindfulness or meditation, which basically means to reach a calm state as you find something in the present to gently focus on, letting all those other thoughts go. This can help you relax, think more clearly, let go of stress, improve your health, have fun and create artistic photos. With all those benefits, you’d think everyone would be outdoors with their camera.

Of course, you can get a lot of these benefits by just going out and tuning into the details of nature. But, if you do so with a camera in hand, it may be a more focused experience, and you can come home with beautiful images.

With a camera you may work harder to find beautiful places and go when the lighting is best. Early or late in the day tends to have warm, soft light and saturated colors. Mid-day light can be harsh with washed out colors and difficult highlights and shadows. It also makes people squint.  The soft diffused light of a partly cloudy day works well for people, flowers, wildlife and many other subject’s. If you find a good subject, consider returning when the lighting is ideal. Sitting and waiting patiently for the changing light of a sunset can pay off in the meditative state you reach and in the images you capture.

Matia Island Dock, Washington

Composition can dramatically affect a picture’s impact. Simple is usually better, so try zooming or changing angles to eliminate clutter. Be sure to scan the viewfinder for unwanted items and to check that the horizon is level, especially with pictures of water. Some pictures look best in a vertical format, so try turning the camera sideways.

Balance is an important element of composition, one which I look for in nature when taking pictures. In the photo of the dock and island, the two subjects balance each other. That photo is also an example of the rule-of-thirds. By placing your subject(s) a third of the way over from center, and a third of the way up, you have a more dynamic picture. When you offset your subject, your eye tends to travel around the picture.

Park Butte Trail, Washington

To add depth to a picture, you can include foreground details. A path, road or creek that lead your eye into a picture also give a sense of depth. This is especially effective if you find one with s-bends.

Father & Son at Sunset

The absolutely best pictures capture a feeling or tell a story, so watch for such opportunities. Pictures of people or animals work well for this.

There are great subjects for pictures all around us. If we pay close attention to our environment, we can find beautiful pictures that we might have walked right by. You might get creative and try a close-up of pebbles or insects, maybe try night photography, clouds or fascinating patterns. And of course, there’s landscapes, seascapes, wildlife and flowers.

As to gear, there are a lot of good cameras out there, depending on your needs. If you’re not making big enlargements, a point and shoot digitial might be best. They’re very compact and lightweight. I carry heavier Nikon digital single lens reflex gear. Kenrockwell.com has excellent reviews on a variety of cameras and lenses. Digital editing software, like Photoshop, can vastly improve photos. You can adjust contrast or color, darken a sky, sharpen a photo or remove imperfections. There is reasonably good software on the internet for free.

The best piece of advice is carry a camera often. The more pictures you shoot, the more instinctive it becomes. This makes it easier to let go of your thoughts and really get into the moment. Using some simple techniques, you may come home with some spectacular photos. Please be sure to visit my photo gallery for picture ideas.

Gunner, resting from a game of fetch

Energy is something Gunner had been lacking, and it had been many months since he was able to jump. He’d lost his hearing, some of his sight, control of his bowels and most of the strength in his rear legs. On the other hand, he could still walk and even play a little fetch in the local park. Deciding when or if to end your dog’s life can be a very personal and difficult decision. As hard as it was, it seemed like an appropriate time to me, and I’m confident that Gunner thought so too. 

Curt & Gunner in mountains

I’ll get more to the end of the story later, but the beginning is probably a better place to start. For us, life with Gunner started when we brought him home at six weeks of age. As a puppy he overflowed with energy and enthusiasm, eagerly chasing a stick, a squirrel or our kids on their sleds. As he grew, Gunner’s love for his family and his desire to be good dog became apparent. Unlike our prior dog who would try and see what he could get away with, sneaking onto the couch late at night or off into the woods when he could, Gunner really wanted to be good, as if it was his moral responsibility. As Shepherds are known to do, he learned to communicate very well. We spoke to him in full sentences and knew that he understood much of what was said. 

Mary & Gunner near Mt Shuksan

In the house, he was my constant shadow, laying by my desk as I worked, then following me to the kitchen for a snack. When he wasn’t nearby, I found myself looking around, wondering where he was or what was wrong. I truly enjoyed his company. When work got too stressful, a walk in the woods with Gunner would quickly renew me and him too. 

His favorite times were our countless adventures, camping, playing on beaches and hiking in the mountains. Occasionally, he’d even swim along behind on a kayak outing. Like me, his favorite places included high mountain overlooks with panoramic views. I used to wonder if he was looking for wildlife or if he really just enjoyed the view as much as I did. On the trail, Gunner greeted fellow hikers enthusiastically, with a wet nose and a swishing tail. He loved people, and they seemed to love him. He got all of the compliments. Almost always, the hikers would stop to tell us what a beautiful dog Gunner was. One exception may have been the woman that screamed, thinking he was a bear charging down the trail. 

As he reached the age of 10, we started noticing weakness in his gait and by the end of a five-mile hike, his rear legs barely had enough strength to finish. More symptoms started appearing which we eventually concluded were Degenerative Myelopathy, a common disease in German Shepherds that is similar to the debilitating human ailment Muscular Sclerosis. 

Gunner with his pack, plunging into a creek crossing

His exercise got limited to short walks in the neighborhood or a quick round of playing fetch at the nearby park. He got left behind during our hikes in the mountains. He undoubtedly missed going, and we missed having him along. But it was more important to us that he avoid aggravating his condition or injuring himself. His symptoms also included dragging his back feet, sometimes bloodying them on rocks or on asphalt. Along with his physical disabilities, he started losing his enthusiasm for life.   

Heather, one of our daughters, had wanted a small dog for years. We knew that his eventual passing would leave a big gap in the family, so we considered buying a puppy. We thought that Gunner might enjoy the company too, and we’d have a new trail companion. While surfing the internet, I noticed a Mini-Australian Shepherd name Riva for sale nearby. My intuition and some psychic reading told me that she would make a great family dog. 

Riva did turn out to be a joyful, loving puppy, but Gunner didn’t seem too enthusiastic about her. In fact he got downright grumpy, growling at her regularly. She did get a lot of attention, and being so fast and mobile, she would jump in front of him or try to herd him, pushing him into furniture as he tried to get around. About the same time, Gunner started soiling the house more and acting less friendly towards us. We found ourselves getting increasingly irritated with him. How could he not like this adorable puppy? What a grump. 

Gunner looking disapprovingly at Riva

My wife Mary decided to do some clairvoyant reading on the situation. She telepathically talked to Gunner whom expressed his resentment, pointing out the Riva’s a puppy, and she should know her place. She prances around and gets so much attention even when she’s doing stuff that’s wrong, stuff that Gunner wouldn’t do. Mary assured him that we would try to be more fair. 

After talking to Gunner, Mary contacted one of our spirit guides. He told Mary that we needed to be as gentle and kind toward Gunner as we can be, and he added, “wouldn’t you be cranky?”  Gunner was losing use of his hearing, eyesight, legs and bowels. He also assured us that Gunner’s soiling the house was out of his control, and was not a form of retribution for the new puppy. 

Both Mary and I looked at our behavior and concluded that we could show more love and understanding. We encouraged our kids to do the same and to give Gunner more attention. We made sure that he got as much exercise as he could handle, mostly on soft ground. During my meditations, I would psychically communicate with him, reliving some of our adventures and sending him lots of love. 

Gunner enjoying a mountain view

Before long, Gunner started getting along better with the growing puppy, and he became more accepting of his own deteriorating condition. I became very aware again of what a big-hearted brave dog he is, as he struggled up a flight of stairs or tolerated Riva herding him into the side of a chair. He even accepted being left behind on hikes into the mountains, although I know he longed to go. With increasing frequency, his legs would just give out, or they would become tangled. He would wait patiently while I untangled his rear legs and pulled him back up onto his feet. I saw that although he became accepting, and maybe even started to like Riva a little, he just wasn’t having much fun anymore. A lot of what he was going through must have been downright miserable. We decided to discuss with him the eventual ending of his life. He telepathically said that he was tired of his old body, but that he loved his family and would continue to stay around for us, if that’s what we wanted. He emphasized that he would be fine with whatever we decided. He always placed his family at the very top of his priorities. 

We continued to enjoy his company for a number of months, while his condition slowly worsened. As his quality of life went further downhill, it made less sense to me for him to suffer anymore. We went back and forth, struggling to decide on the best choice for Gunner, since he left it up to us to decide. Finally, we just picked a date and scheduled a time for the veterinarian to come to our house. 

Gunner & Riva laying around

As the date approached, Mary and I both psychically checked in with Gunner to see how he felt about it. We both got a clear message that he felt excited about being free of his body. Apparently, Gunner knew where he was going, so he didn’t have the same fears most people have about dying. Mary saw images of Gunner visiting his mother and of him chasing a butterfly across a meadow. He also told her that we’ve been a great family, and thank you for all the adventures. He assured us that he would still be around his family in-spirit some of the time and that Riva would know when he is around, so watch for signs. 

A few days before the scheduled date, the family gathered together for a day in Gunner’s honor, spending time at the beach playing, sitting around a campfire and giving him lots of attention and treats. 

Before his appointed time, I meditated and communicated with Gunner again. What I felt was an incredible sensation of love from and for him, my bighearted companion. 

So, when his breathing stopped and I saw his spirit jumping with new enthusiasm, I felt a sense of joy for him along with my sense of loss over the passing of a wonderful dog and friend.

Mt Baker, Washington state’s second most active volcano, is a hulking mass of rock and snow that towers over anything around it. Those of us living in Whatcom county look up at it regularly, as you can see it from miles away. In June of 2005, four friends and I made our way up the Coleman Deming Glacier route, to the top of the mountain. Having stood amongst the seracs and crevasses, looking down on the clouds below, gave me a whole new perspective on Mt Baker. Since our route is visible from much of the county, I’ve looked up many times, remembering.

Mt Baker and Wiser Lake, Washington

The mountain is thickly covered with glaciers, holding the world record for snowfall. The nearby ski area got 96 feet of it in the winter of 1998/99. With all that ice and snow, climbing the mountain required specialized glacier gear & techniques.

Climbing route w/our camp and crevasses in lower right

One of the most serious dangers is crevasses, cracks in the ice that can be as deep as 100 feet. Many of these crevasses are covered with snow bridges, which have the potential of breaking as you cross them. To avoid plunging to the bottom of a crevasse, we roped together and carried climbing harnesses, prusiks and other rescue gear like snow pickets and pulleys. For traveling on ice, we also used mountaineering boots with crampons and carried ice axes. Along with all the climbing gear, we carried a lot of backpacking gear for camping on the mountain.

Actually climbing the mountain turned out to be an intense mixture of misery and euphoria. Most of the misery came from carrying all that gear through snow, trudging step after step up 7100 feet of elevation gain.

Our camp, high on Coleman Glacier

Euphoria came during the moments that I stopped, took a few deep breaths and turned to see the incredible views. By the first afternoon, we climbed high onto the glacier and set-up camp at an elevation of 8500 feet. The sun dropped beyond the mountains and San Juan Islands stretched out to the west of us.

The camaraderie of my climbing partners also added immensely to the trip. We worked well together as a team, and all us remained in good spirits, picking on each other just enough to keep things light.  

I woke up that night, having slid towards the opening of our steeply sloped tent. That got me to thinking about the snow outside, which was freezing into slippery ice. I also realized that we’d never staked the tent down. What if it starts sliding toward that crevasse field below us? I could feel that the snow wasn’t freezing directly under us. Whew! My next thought was that I really had to pee, and two other guys were blocking the exit. I sat up in my sleeping bag and pondered whether I should wake them. Instead, I laid back down to think about it some more.

Sunset over the San Juan Islands

Before long, 2:30 AM arrived, and it was time for everyone to get up and start climbing. In the early morning hours, snow bridges and the loose snow would be solid, safer and easier to cross. After a quick breakfast, we strapped on our gear, roped together, turned on our headlamps and started up the glacier, carefully watching for crevasses in the dark. And yes, we came across a few. On one snow bridge, we looked down into a hole where someone’s leg broke through. A number of crevasses required jumping over. On the far side of one, Kerry caught his crampon and did a spectacular flip, while the rest of us plunged down onto our ice axes to pull the climbing rope tight and prevent him from going deeply into the crevasse. He landed clear of the crevasse, got up and brushed the snow off.

By sunrise, we climbed over a ridge, opening up stunning views of the North Cascades. Mt Rainier glowed orange, 100 miles to the south of us, and the early sun just lit up many of mountains between us and Rainier. It felt like nothing but clear, thin air separated us and heaven. Next, I looked up at our last obstacle, the Roman wall, a thousand vertical feet of steep, icy terrain. We slowly made our way up in a line, stopping regularly to catch our breath. We used the “french technique” or “flat-footing” to keep our crampons in contact with the snow, walking sideways with ankles bent at peculiar angles. Occasionally, I looked down on the crevasses far below and realized that if we all started sliding, they would be the only thing to stop us. With that thought in mind, I placed each step, and each thrust of my ice ax, very carefully.

Eventually, the slope lessened and we reached the massive top of the dome. What a wonderful relief. We strode across with pride to stand on the knob that is Mt Baker’s true summit. I was elated! This confirmed what I had wondered most of the way up, that I could do it. We were on top of the world. My next thought was that it’s all downhill from here.

Curt, Kerry & Andre on top of Mt Baker

The downhill felt worse than the climb up. We were tired, sore and started breaking through the soft snow on the way down. But the long trudge down gave me plenty of time to reflect on our trip and to contemplate the big plate of pasta I planned to eat at Tino’s Restaurant that night.

My wife Mary planned to do some psychic reading and to make a trip to the Akashic Records. She generously asked if I had a question for her to read. After meditating on it, the question, “what is heaven like?” popped into my head. I don’t believe that was a random thought, but rather a well-planned question suggested by an advanced spirit. Angels and advanced spirits would like those of us on earth to become more aware of the spirit world, to help us let go of our fears and to shift our priorities in a more positive direction. These advanced spirits also knew that Mary and I would share this information with you, so Mary was provided with a wonderful tour.

For more information on similar experiences, I’d suggest any of Dr Michael Newton’s books. Through his hypnotherapy techniques, Dr Newton’s helped over 7000 people experience heaven and change their life with what they learned. You can find two of his books on my shopping page,  Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls.You can also find more information in my Science and Heaven article.

Heavenly Sunset Over the San Juan Islands

The following is Mary’s description of her trip:

After reaching a deep state of meditation or trance, my out-of-body trip began. I reached the library which looks like an ancient Greek, marble building with columns in the front and a massive entry. Inside, bookshelves line the aisle and extend a vast distance, to the end. There are offshoot aisles, leading to different rooms. Floating quickly, to the far end of the building, I found a rounded glass atrium filled with exotic trees, plants, flowers, ponds, etc.  I also saw other spirit in the library, doing their own research.  They appeared as lights or energy. I could sense them, and they could sense me. There seemed to be a curiosity about one another. Inside the atrium area, I sat down in front of a small pond to take in the tranquil beauty. Then, I asked my question.  “What is heaven like?”

A beautiful angel with translucent white wings came and offered to escort me on a tour. We entered a place that was very bright, warm and comforting. I couldn’t see much because it was so bright, but other spirits surrounded me and I felt safe and loved. It felt somehow familiar. I then went on to see such things as a sailboat out on the ocean , a canyon, deep and massive like the Grand Canyon, rushing rivers and fields of wild flowers.  Wherever we went, I got a real sense of freedom, peace and love.  There was no judgment, no anger and no resentment, just harmony. It was a place where we all could just be. 

Wherever we went, we went quickly, with no effort. We soared through the clouds, overlooking a castle surrounded by wild horses running free and beautiful tropical gardens. I saw giraffes, zebras and spotted leopards. We then flew into space, surrounded by infinite galaxies, stars and planets. From space, I suddenly began to see glimpses of the lives of loved ones back home, like watching them on a TV screen. I got the sense that we really do stay connected to those we left behind after we pass.

Next, the angel showed me some of the things we do while we are in heaven. Students and teachers gathered in a large courtyard with tables and benches. This place of learning seemed similar to school on earth.  I also saw a large auditorium, filled with small individual viewing screens, where many spirits were gathered. One could preview the potential lives they would reincarnate to on the viewing screens.  It seemed that spirits were working together on this, as if they may take a life together or to help one another choose lives where they could work on lessons they may still need to learn.

We also visited a place with pods (large spherical bubbles) that serve as a home base for different soul groups to gather. I asked to be brought to my pod, and when I arrived, I sensed the essence of many people I’ve known in my life.  It felt like I belonged there. I had a strong desire to stay, but of course, this was just a tour, and that was not possible.  

The last image I saw was that of an enormous, glowing source of energy, similar to the sun.  I saw a steady stream of spirits, one row on each side, entering the underside of this source of energy and then coming out the top on each side. The source seemed like God, or at least a part of God. I was told that they were getting cleansed, renewed. Impure thoughts were being released, to be replaced with pure love. It was an amazing sight. Describing this trip can’t begin to explain how it felt to be there, witnessing it. What I will say is this, Heaven is vast with no borders that can define it.  It goes beyond what the imagination can comprehend and it certainly is a place I look forward to returning to.

Heart Chakra Meditation

Curt & Mary Remington in Mountains

Once you’ve reached your quiet and comfortable place, take a few deep breaths and relax.  With your thoughts quieted, visualize a very important person in your life.  This could be a spouse or sweetheart, child, parent or close friend.  Holding their image, contemplate one or two traits that are unique and positive about them.  Maybe they’re very generous, creative, funny or loving.  If positive characteristics are not coming up, remember that person is only human and move through their traits until you find a positive one.  Everyone has some.  As you’re contemplating that trait, feel your fondness for that person.  The feeling is probably coming from the area of your heart or fourth chakra.  After feeling the warmth for that person, find someone else important in your life and do the same thing.

 As you move from person to person, sense a growing golden glow radiating from your heart, like sunshine.  Let the rays of this warmth shine for as long as you like, touching the important people in your life.  If you want, you can then expand it farther so it reaches others, that you don’t know, like everyone in your neighborhood, town or even expand it to the world.  If everyone did this, we could make the world a brighter, more loving place.  When you’re done, take a few more deep breaths and realize that you can continue to radiate some of that caring light as you go on about your day.

Soar Like an Eagle

Have you ever wished that you could fly? Well, you can! Your spirit has known how to fly all along, and it probably does so at night, while you’re asleep. Have you ever had a vivid dream of flying, or you suddenly jerked awake from a dream of falling. You were probably having an out-of-body experience. If only we could remember all the exciting adventures our spirit has had. I believe that we will, once we permanently leave our current body behind. Until then, you can use this visualization meditation to spend some time away from your body, experiencing a wonderful spiritual state.

As a nature lover, I use this technique to fly to the mountains. You might decide to soar amongst clouds, skim cornfields or slalom through skyscrapers.

Flying Visualization Exercise

At this point, I’ll share my own experiences. Please experiment and modify the technique to find what works for you, based on your own preferences and location.

Top of Mt Baker in North Cascades, WA

Once in a meditative state, I visualize myself floating up out of my body and out through the window, which doesn’t have to be open. Stretching my spiritual arms to soar, I take a short flight over houses and treetops to Lake Whatcom, just a block away. From there, I’ll swoop down to the lake and fly low, skimming its surface. On a sunny day, I’ll feel warmth on my back and the cool of the lake below. At night, the surface sparkles and shimmers with moonlight. Reaching the end of the lake, I’ll ascend up over tree covered foothills, and quickly reaching snow-covered Mt Baker. Hovering over Coleman Glacier, I’ll drop into a crevasse and experience its cold silence, seeing the blue world of ice and snow as clearly as possible. From there, I soar home at cloud level, descend into my house and bring my consciousness back into my body. Then, I’ll either stretch and get up, or continue on to another meditation.

You undoubtedly have some interesting sights within a short flight from your house. If not, feel free to take a longer one. I’ve even used this technique to visit the moon. From the air, even a small town’s lights at night are a beautiful sight.

I’d love to hear of your exciting experiences with this. Please post them below. Thanks, Curt

Luxurious Yacht in the Meditteranean

All the work it takes to get more money certainly can. In the quest for money, many of us work long hours, leaving little time for family, friends and recreation. And people borrowing money beyond their means led to our record foreclosure rates and an economy that’s in shambles. The bailouts helped our government’s debt get to its current level, over $12 Trillion dollars.

I saw some signs of this back in the 90’s while appraising real estate in an affluent area. Many people were building gigantic new homes with 4000 or more square feet of living area, including rooms that rarely got used. It takes a lot of stuff to fill those houses. Some of these people were truly wealthy, while others just wanted to be. They lived beyond their means, trying to keep up with the neighbors. We’d see homeowners run up their credit cards, then refinance their house, again and again.

The neighbors probably weren’t trying to get each other to spend, but  corporations with marketing experts sure were. They really want you to buy their stuff, or take out their loan. They’re willing to start working on you when you’re young and impressionable. American kids see 40,000 commercials a year. By the age of two, they ask for products by brand name, and by three, they connect a brand with qualities like cool, smart or strong. Shortly after my daughters learned “daddy,” they learned complex words like “McDonalds.” Corporations are out to make money, and they don’t care if they turn us into a bunch of materialistic shopaholics.

Small Fishing Boat w/Happy Fishermen

These corporations don’t even seem to care about the impact on the environment. The average American uses 4.5 times as much resources as the average Costa Rican. There’s an index that measures happiness, longevity and environmental impact, the Happy Planet Index. Of 143 countries, Costa Rica ranked number one, while the US ranked 114. It’s not that we’re so unhappy, but our happiness takes a lot of resources.

Personally, I’m pretty happy, but I’ve definitely been guilty of buying and working too much. For a variety of reasons, my wife and I fell into working as many as 80 hours a week during the crazy years of mortgage refinancing. Even while working that much, I’d find time to go on Ebay or Amazon and buy something I didn’t need. Soon, it would go into storage. It was a good thing I had a fairly big house and a pole barn. During my 20 years of appraising, far too many of those years involved working long hours, with not enough time for much else.

Eventually, we both got tired of working constantly and putting our enjoyment on hold. We sold our appraisal business and moved to Bellingham, Washington. We downsized into a smaller house with a smaller lot and no pole barn. It didn’t hurt our happiness a bit, although once in a while, I miss the pole barn.

We found this area to have a healthy set of priorities. People seemed more laid back and happy. There’s a strong sense of community and caring. When I started shopping at Fred Meyers, I wondered how the cashier always seemed to know the people in line in front of me. One day, I realized that they were just that friendly. There’s also gratitude for this wonderful place and an emphasis on healthy outdoor activities and having fun, maybe more so than on making money. These are all values that people can embrace, wherever they live. On a trip to Italy, a few summers ago, what really stood out to me was the small cars, small houses and happy people.

Hard work can be necessary and even fun at times, especially if you enjoy your job. Just make sure to keep some balance, and don’t buy into the buying more will make you happy mindset. Some of the best things in life are free or close to it, like spending time with your loved ones, a beautiful view or a walk in the rain. You might even decide to work on your creativity writing, singing, playing music or starting an art project. And of course, you can meditate.

You are a spiritual being. There was a spiritual you before you were born, and there will be one still, after your body dies. Often, while we’re here on earth, we can get so caught up in our daily routines that we barely acknowledge that. We rush around from task to task, thinking and worrying about what we need to do next. Meditation can help us slow down, live more in the present, and reconnect with that wiser, eternal, spiritual part of ourselves. Some of the benefits of meditating are:

Mary meditating at Larrabee State Park, WA

• Improved energy, concentration and attention
• Reduced stress, anger, anxiety and tension
• Improved relationships
• More forgiveness and gratitude
• Less blocks to health and happiness
• Access to intuition and psychic abilities

Meditation is Easy

Not only is meditating extremely beneficial, it is also easy. By the end of this article, you will have the basics you need to get started. To meditate, you don’t need to stop all the thoughts racing through your head. You just need to find something to gently focus on that slows down your other thoughts, so your mind and body can relax, and you can hear the whisperings of your spiritual self. In my Connect with Nature article, I mention a variety of focal points you can find in nature, but maybe it’s rainy or cold old out. Breathing is another very natural and simple focal point, or object of meditation. For at least 2500 years Buddhists and others, have used their breath as a focus in their meditation. Breathing draws in Prana, a vital life-sustaining force. Just follow the simple steps below and you’ll be meditating in no time.

Young Bald Eagles

Simple Breath Meditation Exercise

1. If you’re tense, consider doing some stretching exercises before you start meditating. It’s also helpful to stand, let your arms hang and shake the tension out of your hands.
2. For meditating, my recommendation is that you find a comfortable chair in a quiet room and sit with both feet on the ground. If you prefer to sit on the floor in a lotus position, go ahead.
3. Close your eyes for the meditation. Start to become aware of your breathing. Take a deep breath, drawing from your abdomen, and hold it briefly, then exhale through your mouth. Relax and let your tension go out with your breath. Do this a few more times, and then return to a more relaxed, natural rate of breathing. At this point, I prefer to just breath through my nose.
4. Gently focus on the sensations or some aspect of your breathing, such as the pause between breaths or the sensation of warmth as your breath leaves your nostrils. You might visualize the path of your breath as it is drawn down into your lungs.
5. When a random thought pops in, and they will, take note of that, then let the thought go. To make this clear, I’ll  give you an example:
   1. a.      Normal Thoughts – I wonder what Cheryl meant by that remark earlier today? I’ll bet she was trying to make me look bad. You know I never did like her. Why do I even care? Nobody listens to her anyway…..
   2. b.      Trying to Meditate – I wonder what Cheryl meant by that remark? Oh yeah, I’m supposed to be meditating. Why does my mind keep wandering like this? Doesn’t everyone’s mind wander like this? I’ll bet Cheryl wouldn’t do any better. In fact Cheryl is probably the one that should be meditating….
   3. c.       Actually meditating – I wonder what Cheryl meant by that remark? Hmm… I had a thought. Let’s refocus on my breathing.
6. Congratulations, you’re meditating. Do this as long as you like, but 15 minutes is a good goal. Ten minutes might be enough to start, then consider working up to 20 minutes a day.

Conclusion

The more that you practice meditating, the easier it will be to let go of distracting thoughts. Experiment with different techniques and find what works best for you. There are a number of great meditations on my web site, especially grounding and running your energies. They can be used to move quantum energy, releasing blocks to your health, emotional and spiritual well being. I use these everyday alone or before other meditation exercises or clairvoyant reading.

The benefits of meditating make it well worth your time and effort, so try to make it part of your daily routine.