Stepping Beyond Stereotypes
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| "The Twin Tunnels Trail follows the Old Columbia Highway through the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon." photo by Carol E Fairbanks |
It was a study of contrasts while experiencing the diversity of the scenic wonders alongside the Columbia River, as it meandered through steep basalt cliffs that separate the states of Oregon and Washington. On this sunny day, for my 13th hike of this blog, I walked the Twin Tunnels Trail in the Columbia River Gorge, that runs along the Old Columbia Highway, between the towns of Hood River and Mosier in Oregon. I passed through areas of both full sun, that heated up the asphalt trail surface, and the cooler sections that were shaded generously by the tall Ponderosa Pine trees. Within a mile or two of walking, I watched those abundant, moist forests, common in western Oregon, transition into landscapes of arid brown hillsides, dotted with low lying shrubs. The cooler, moist air, that had moved over the Cascade Mountains and lost its moisture, now parched my throat forcing me to reach for my water bottle more often than usual. It was my second walk of the day, and I was already regretting my decision to do this trail east of the Cascades so late in the afternoon. And my body readily agreed with my mind, as it dampened my shirt profusely with perspiration.
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| "Me hiking the Twin Tunnels Trail" ~ photo by Lee G Young |
While climbing a gradual grade upward and admiring the expansive view of the river below, I was suddenly surrounded by a crowd of young boys of various shapes and sizes. Within that diverse group was a common attitude of apparently not wanting to do this hike. They were accompanied by several uniformed park rangers and counselors or, perhaps, teachers, who were trying to drum up some enthusiasm for this activity within the group. As I was grimacing inside about my bad timing, one overweight young man turned to me and apologized for his use of swear words. I smiled and said that I hadn’t heard anything and that I was not even paying any attention to him. Wanting some distance between us, I slowed up at a viewpoint to take some photos, thinking that letting the boys get ahead of me was the only way I might actually enjoy this hike.
I started hiking again when I saw that they disappeared around a bend in the trail, but my dynamic walking pace soon overtook their slower stride, that resisted any physical activity. Once again, I found myself on the trail surrounded by those apathetic young boys. In teaching in public school, I had encountered this resistant attitude in young people, and after retiring, I had done my best to exclude it from my experience. And here I was on a fabulous Gorge hike, surrounded by the very energy I vowed to avoid for the rest of my life! As I lapsed into a resignation that this hike was not going to be one of my best, one of the young boys, who had independently run ahead with some others, approached me as I got nearer to a prominent viewpoint. I couldn’t imagine anything “good” coming of this impending encounter and braced myself for a possible derogatory comment.
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| "A stately eagle perches in a tree as he surveys the Columbia River." ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks |
To my surprise, he asked my about my camera, and said, “I spotted an eagle on a tree down below by the river, and wondered if you would want to take a photograph of it.” He thought if my camera could zoom in closer, it might make a “very cool” picture. My disappointment of this trek instantly turned into elation, as I quickly followed him to the overlook wall. Looking down, indeed, I saw one magnificent eagle, sitting patiently in a tree while surveying the water for his “dinner”. The boys, who were not formerly impressed with anything, crowded around me as I snapped some photos of this symbol of power and freedom. When they asked to view my eagle photos on my camera screen, I watched them and saw a joy and enthusiasm I had not observed in them before. Those boys, who were not impressed by anything on this hike, were now excited and babbling about this eagle sighting! I talked with them about the process of loading my eagle photos onto my computer and cropping to make them even more close up. Where before, our diversity had created a separation, now, we were like “good friends” talking about this eagle sighting. It was fun, once again, feeling like an enthusiastic teacher, who was surrounded by eager students.
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| "Looking through the tunnels on the Twin Tunnels Trail in the Columbia River Gorge." ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks |
Later, I continued on upward from the eagle viewpoint through the tunnels, without the company of those young boys. As I left the observation point, I turned to watch the boys be guided back toward the trailhead and noticed a joyful enthusiasm, as they continued to talk about their fortunate sighting. Because they had pointed out the eagle’s presence, they were as much a part of the picture taking as I was. Before, seeing the eagle from the trail, the boys and I were barely tolerating one another, and afterwards, the eagle’s stately presence had moved us beyond our rigid stereotyping to a place of common ground. An experience of nature will do that, especially one like the eagle that personifies the primal life force inherent in all of us.
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| "My turnaround place at the observation point overlooking the Columbia River." ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks |
Eagles are symbols of great power, a power that goes beyond even their size. When the boys and I experienced that magnificent eagle, we were both inspired to take on the responsibility of becoming so much more than we appeared to be. They would feel safe in expressing joy and enthusiasm and, perhaps, become more open to their inner gifts and talents, that waited to be expressed in the future. And I would let loose of quickly judging others before I truly get to know them. We both could “fly higher” than our fears to a greater understanding of one another. So this was a trail that offered all of us much more than a beautiful view. It taught a valuable lesson of how to better relate to one another. That’s the best treasure you can get from the trail… one that builds unity, acceptance and harmony.
by Carol E Fairbanks, W.W.W.
