It happened on Cathedral Rock. Karen and I climbed to the plateau via the Cathedral Rock Trail on Thursday, late morning. We began the short but steep climb behind a father and his 10 year old boy. By the time we reached the plateau overlooking beautiful red rock mountains and formations, we had passed our predecessors.
As we sat enjoying a cool breeze, I noticed a slight hum coming from the red rocks, "humm", I thought "what is that?". As I broke out an apple, the father and son arrived. "Awesome", the father said. I shook my head in solidarity of that thought. The four of us exchanged pleasantries, we found out they were from California and shot a few pictures of each other, happy to be alive and standing where we were standing.
The trail meandered up around one of the spires and I asked Karen if she wanted to continue up and around the rock. She was content being where she was, so I decided to go it alone. I cut around the trail and as I turned to the other side, the rock shot straight up forcing me to proceed climbing with the assistance of my hands and feet. I rose to a point that afforded me a view of beautiful rock towers ahead. I was anxious to get to a vantage point that would allow me a full visual of the area.
As I got to a very interesting and narrow rock ridge, I was quite surprised to happen upon an older gentleman sitting contently on a fantastic vantage point, against one of the huge spires with views in 2 directions. The gentleman, who at 70 was in fabulous physical condition, was dressed in long pants, a button down shirt, hiking shoes and big dark sunglasses . He informed me he was originally from the Sierra Nevada area of California and now living in Sedona, makes Cathedral Rock "his morning walk". We discussed everything from the Sierra's to New Hampshire, skiing and life. And in the 20 minutes we knew each other, we were in constant conversation, that I found absolutely riveting.
As we continued speaking a couple appeared over the rocks and the female informed us , in a not so friendly manner that every word we were saying was echoing through the canyon. However she prefaced her comments with "continue if you wish, it's a free world." And they trekked on.
The gentleman and I continued our conversation for another minute or two and then a combination of ruined aura and the need to get back to Karen told me it was time to bid farewell to the gentleman and head back down to Karen. I said "goodbye and thanks for speaking with me." To which the gentleman replied "it was my pleasure".
I climbed down to Karen, informed her of what had just transpired, how it was a little surreal and asked if she'd want to climb up to where I had just been. She agreed and off we went. We passed the gentleman, exchanged introductions, "this is my wife". "Hello" they both said to each other and we passed and proceeded to climb a steep rock toward another plateau that I noticed from below. As we topped the rock and scoped our plateau destination to our right, to the left on a ridge we noticed a couple sitting in meditation. As we approached, we realized it was the same couple who not pleased with my conversation with the gentleman on the higher ridge. Karen and I walked a tad below them and in silence we passed and proceeded to a spot on the narrow plateau.
On the plateau we sat a few feet apart and in silence I sort of drifted into thought, starring at the rock wall in front of me. Then it happened... in what's hard to explain without actually experiencing it, the rock wall began to sway, emitting a weird and visual vibe. Almost like magnetic or heat waves the rocks moved and emitted their energy. I began "seeing" into the rock and noticed their natural hieroglyphics, the rocks were telling me a story. My sense of conciseness changed, as I was swept up by what I now perceived to be the power of a vortex or the power of the earth itself. We sat in silence for 15-20 minutes or so (time means nothing at this moment) and then I turned to Karen and asked if she felt it, she said, "yes, I felt different". We got up and proceeded down a very steep chute and bushwhacked our way around a spier, through cactus, scrub and loose rock to the main trail. As we headed down we were intersected by the father and son as they spoke to upcoming hikers. They were asking if the trail was ok for their dog and what it was like around the "other-side" where we had just been. I began to talk with them, turned my head and as if he just appeared, the gentleman was standing right behind me! Spooky it was. I informed the hikers that "this is the gentleman you need to be speaking with" and off we went.
Back in the Jeep I asked Karen if she'd like to join me the next morning in a pre-sunrise hike up Cathedral Rock to fully experience the vortex without interruption. She was not enthusiastic to do so, but made it clear I should go on my own. We laughed as I said The gentleman was not real, that he was an apparition! The rest of the day and evening I couldn't wait for the pre-dawn of the upcoming morning.
(Sunrise on Cathedral Rock)
Friday 5:00 am and I'm off to Cathedral Ledge. I get to the parking area just as the sun is illuminating over the mountain range. There is a car in the red-dirt parking area but no signs of humans anywhere. The excitement I feel is real. It's a beautiful blue sky day, temps in the upper 60's. Perfect! I retrace the steep climb I did less than 24 hours prior. Birds are gleefully singing and dancing overhead. I am careful to watch for snakes and other of the deserts creatures. I figure they too must enjoy and take advantage of the cool & unpopulated morning air and landscape. I hurry up the trail but slow a bit as the grade gets steep and hands and feet are required to proceed. When I hit the plateau where I met up with the father and son the previous morning, I thank the mountain for allowing me this incredible opportunity. I begin to feel an energy I can't explain, it envelopes me and I touch and talk to the mountain as I head around the bend and up the steep terrain to the perch of the gentleman. He is nowhere to be found ( I thought maybe the car down below was his), either is anyone else. Sun rays welcome me and pierce my eyes. Beautiful mist rises from the mountainside and into the horizon. I am alone but feel the presence of the mountain rocks as I approach the perch of the gentleman. I stop and stare as if the gentleman is with me. I scope out a place a little higher up with magnificent views and the sun, the sun is in prime position of this amazing spot, dancing in and out of the clouds. I stop remove my pack and sit down. Within a minute I realize this spot just doesn't seem right, the place is not mine. I quickly snap on my pack and move toward the area Karen and I sat the morning prior. I pass the place of the meditating couple, seeing their spirit as I pass. I reach my place, undo my pack and sit in place. It feels right, I belong there. The rocks accept my position and in a way I swear they were contouring for me to sit.
(view from my perch)
I begin to see into the red-rock wall in front of me and it begins to tell stories. The mountain relays tales about the huge arrowhead, which is displayed on the rock tower to my right, the deer to the left, the rabbit, the eagle, faces of people, warriors and more. I am totally enthralled with what is happening around me and then the most amazing this occurs, the mountain begins to beat a drum. At first I reasoned this to be a construction machine, thunder, anything I could make sense of. it was none of the above. I then thought maybe it's the footsteps of people echoing in the canyon as they approached, but no one arrived. The drum beats stopped and started, their tone was both loud and free and in some instances, they were confined within the rocks themselves. I sat in awe as the mountain spoke to me thru flickering energy, picture and sound. The aura was visible all around be, in the form of magnetic-looking waves. I reached out a hand toward the energy and it seems to disappear in front of my eyes. I did the same with a second hand, the same result. My hands were still in front of me but they were more like ghostly visions touching the magnetic essence of the rocks. I was completely in tune with the mountain and felt the mountain had accepted me. In fact, laying right in front of me, in an obvious geometric pattern were four red-rocks, laced with white marbling. I debated whether they were there for me to take. I decided to ask the mountain. I believe the mountain was ok with my taking them with me, I did, I hope I was right. I am now blown away.
Time was irrelevant, but I feel I must have been experiencing this confluence for at least an hour. Here the concept of synchronicity takes hold. I pledged I would sit tight until I saw the first sign of human presence. At this point I thought I heard a voice, a female voice. A few seconds later, walking thru the crack between two rock towers comes a man, it is The Gentleman from yesterday! He is wearing the same dark sunglasses and a gray button down shirt. He spots me on my perch, looks at me, smiles a wry smile complete with a wide grin as if to say "I'm so happy you are here, I did my job yesterday", He then turns toward the crack between the two towers and waits as a 20-something male and a beautiful very fit blond girl wearing shorts, a blue tank-top and sneakers walk on thru. As the couple walk through, the female spots me and let's out a brief giggle, which I too had done so many times now when seeing something that confirmed the awesome experience of the desert, including when I saw first encountered The Gentleman. The Gentleman poses the couple, snaps a picture, they say something in French I believe, the gentleman turns to me nods and heads up toward his perch from the day prior. I watch as the couple follows, the girl clumsily, as if her sneakers don't afford her enough support heads up the rock and they all disappear.
My intimate experience with the mountain is now over, it began in earnest when meeting the gentleman and ended with his presence. I planned to head down the way I did the day prior, but decided to trace the path of the Gentleman and the couple and headed through the crack in the towers. I again bushwhacked thru cactus, brush and loose rock, but it was different than the day prior. When I reached the main trail, I ran into a couple of hikers who were heading up the rock. They asked how I was doing and the words "absolutely fabulous" just rolled out of my mouth. I wished them a good day and in sort of a fog, I proceeded down. I saw a mountain biker heading up a sister trial to my left. I then ran into a painter who was sitting at a beautiful viewing area and painting the Cathedral Rock and it's towers. She was from Kansas and her and her dog were driving the desert south west in search of making art. Her dog was lying under a tree a few feet below. I asked her if she's been up to the plateau and she said she wasn't much of a hiker and had not ventured up that way. She did say the night prior, she caught the sun set from the place she now sat and described it as "mind altering". I briefly told her about the gentleman and how it had affected me and she too thought there was synchronicity involved here. I mentioned if he came by prior to her leaving, he'd be a good person to talk to. She thanked me for the tip, I wished her well on her journey and headed down.
As I reached the parking area there were three Oriental woman dressed in very fashionable hiking clothes snapping pictures and having a great time talking and laughing. As I passed them I nodded hello but felt at this particular point in time I was in a different place than them and continued to my Jeep without talking. As I write this I am sorry I felt that way about those woman, I have no idea what they were experiencing and neither should I care. I took a few looks at Cathedral Rock prior to driving off. It was still in motion even from the parking area. I couldn't feel the energy within me, but i did see it.
Back at our condo, Karen was out so I pounded down a coconut water, showered and debriefed myself on the fabulous experience I just experienced and pondered the impression it would have on me long term. Whether it's the power of a vortex or just the power of the desert, I'm not sure. What I am sure about is it's real and if you look for it with an open attitude, it can be found. I wish I had more time to explore what it was I encountered. I will do a lot of reading so I better understand it next time I have the opportunity to visit the desert.
