Walking Meditation In Salisbury

Everything changed when I took a walk in the woods. I have lived in the northwest corner for 15 years and I thought I knew the area well. But there is another world going on alongside the one we think we know, a parallel place that is peaceful and  cool even on the hottest days of summer, and quietly waiting to be explored. 

I’m not sure why I decided to go hiking that particular morning. Maybe it was the book I’d found earlier in the summer. While weeding out books to donate to the Scoville Memorial Library in Salisbury I discovered an old paperback edition of “Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in Southern New England.” I had never used it.  Now I was 50 (51?), my daughter away at school, my marriage on the rocks. It was time to head to the woods. My first hike would be the 8.9 mile Undermountain Trail loop. I set off on my own.

In a small backpack I stuffed a water bottle, a fleece jacket, a red bandanna (have to have one when hiking, right?), some TP (thanks, mom), my dad’s Swiss Army knife and my well-charged cell phone. I dug my 20-year-old Merrill hiking shoes out of the closet, slipped on a pair of shorts that I was later told had grass stains on the backside, an old button up shirt I use for gardening (long sleeves for sun protection), and a ball cap. It was 7:30 am. Since there was no food in the house, I stopped at Provisions and bought a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a banana, and a bag of their homemade granola, which I added to the pack.

The Undermountain trailhead parking lot is 3.2 miles north of the White Hart Inn on Route 41. I parked, locked the car, and started off on the well-marked trail. It starts with a gentle incline, which continues for some time. It was silent and cool in the woods. I felt a breeze. Along the path there were at least four different types of mushrooms, large, small, all different colors and shapes, some growing on trees, some on the ground. I was glad no one had given in to the impulse to pick them. 

One could say that 2018 was the summer of the bear in Salisbury. It seemed as if every one was talking nonstop about two things: the lousy weather or bears. Bears eating donuts out of garbage cans, bears lounging by peoples’ pool, bears sauntering across the lawn. Though I stayed alert to my surroundings, I felt my mind drifting off. I have always had an interest in meditation, but have never been successful at doing it. But as I walked, I realized several moments passed with no thinking at all. I have since learned that walking meditation is a real thing, and I am now a true believer. Something about the rhythm of the movement made a deeper relaxation possible.  

There is a small stream crossing (the water so clear it was tempting to take a sip) and, as the trail reaches the top of the ridge and meets the Appalachian Trail at Riga junction, there are more rocks and slower climbing. Undermountain Trail leads to the tallest mountains in Connecticut. As I climbed higher, the trees were smaller, the sky opened up above me, and I could feel the excitement of reaching my first goal: the summit of Bear Mountain. Anticipating the top, I was reminded of hiking in the Adirondacks with my dad as a young child. I kept thinking, “Am I there yet?” and would say to myself, “No, not yet.” And, losing the meditative state I had achieved only an hour before, I couldn’t help but worry: “What if I get to the top and I don’t know I am there?” 

However, just as this thought crossed my mind, I stepped into a clearing. Ahead of me was a massive pile of rocks, a mega cairn built in 1885 to mark the summit of Bear Mountain. I scrambled to the top and turned around to see an absolutely gorgeous view. I sat down and unpacked my sandwich. It was the best tasting sandwich I’d ever eaten. 

Most beginning hikers will want to turn around at Bear Mountain and head back on the same trail to their car. For beginners like me who just aren’t ready to stop, the trail continues quite steeply down Bear Mountain to Paradise Lane Trail, which creates a longer loop back to the parking lot. 

This story will continue next week.