The Birth of Creativity

Found this post interesting as it made me reflect on the important role of music in my life. I think this is part of the answer: 

"the paint just knew where to put itself on the canvas.“

That is what it is like when magic happens during a good jam. The notes and beats just know where to go. When it’s really good I can step outside myself almost as a third party observer marveling at what “those guys just did” as if I am not even one of them. I confess a few time (just a rare few) I have thought, “Wow look what I just did. How did I do that?”. 

I remember a few moments so clearly. NYE 2011 we were playing Take 5. One of the hardest songs we play - if you know it it is so deceptively simple and yet so very, very subtle in it’s complexity. Completely unplanned and unexpected we just killed the original and then it morphs into a more jazzy and then hard rocking version before melting back into the original. When it was done one of the band members who doesn't play this song with us asks the four of us who do, "Where did that come from?". We all kind of looked around and then I said, ‘We don’t know how it happens. It just happens sometime. We know what each other is going to do next somehow”. One of my relatives was there who usually kind of sniffs at our playing but even she said later, “You were amazing. The group was amazing”. Probably was the peak of my skills at the time - not so much now due to all kinds of distractions.

We’ve played this "Take 5 Rocks" version since then, morphing from original to hard rock to original. It works well but the first time was the real magic….

I told a friend about this and she said:

 “You just described what many people experience with meditation! You expanded beyond yourself and things just happened. Drums are your way and many traditions actually use drums.”

I am well aware of the meditation connection. Same thing with gardening and hiking - activities that I crave so much. 

The use of repetitive, rhythmic physical activity (beating drums, placing one boot after the other, weeding or digging potatoes) is a great way for me to achieve something like a state of meditation.

This is something worth thinking about when balancing work and life. My own experience has been that making time for these other activities recharges me and helps with creative problem solving. Far from wasting time, these kinds of activities probably make us happier and more productive in a more sustainable way.

I think I'll go bang on my drums...

The Solo Hiker

Today was special for me. I took a long solo hike across diverse terrain that combined new trails and discoveries with a return to some familiar favorites. Most of the day would be spent in Reef Bay, an area I have hiked several times before. It’s a very large bay with several different beaches and many interesting ruins.

Most people take the main trail down from Centerline Road, which runs along the high spine of St. John. From there they can hike all the way down to the old sugar mill near the beach. It’s one of the most popular NPS trails on the island. Very well maintained and has NPS plaques for various things along the way. I almost always see groups and families hiking this trail and it is a great one for that kind of thing.

Reef Bay in the distance as seen from the trailhead of L’Esparance Road

I will end up at that beach today but I will be coming down the old L’Esperance Road, a more difficult, remote and rarely used trail to get there. I expect to see several interesting things. There are extensive ruins along the way. The landscape will gradually shift from tropical forest to desert – I am heading west to east and the east end of the island is by far the driest. But this particular “gut” I am starting out in is one of the wettest. Fresh water and the large protected bay are the key reasons the ruins exist; why settlers built extensively here. I may see fresh water. I should see a nice variety of plants and animals. And I should have the trail pretty much to myself… assuming I don’t run into The Trail Bandit again!

My plan is to hike and explore ruins and get to that beach before the heat of the day. There I can swim, eat, and rest in the shade. Then I will continue to hike east picking up the trail to Lameshur Bay. If everything works out, my family will be playing on that wonderful, remote beach and I will meet them late afternoon.

By 9:30 it is already a bit hot and sticky as I get to the trailhead, check my gear and then begin my descent. As expected I am quickly engulfed by tropical forest. The old road was well built and is still in good shape in some spots with retaining walls clearly visible (left side of frame):

Other areas are overgrown, tumble down:

Look closely at these wild pineapple (above) that are encroaching on the path. There’s a bunch of leaves that look like they were just recently hacked off to clear the path so people could pass. I happen to know there have been sightings of The Trail Bandit along this very path in recent days…hmm… wonder if there is any connection?!??!

After hiking steeply downwards for about 20 minutes the trail takes a sharp hairpin turn and I see the remains of an old stone bridge that crosses the gut and leads to some ruins. This is one of the few and by far the best examples of this kind of bridge I have seen on St. John

I cross the bridge and approach the ruins with increasing excitement. I’ve seen a lot of ruins on this island. These are extensive, diverse and with a lot of walls still standing. 

I ascend thru three levels of structures being careful to stay clear of things that can bonk you on the head or break your ankle or give way and let you fall down a steep slope and kill yourself. That’s the thing about these old stone structures. They will stand for centuries - until one day they don’t. Wandering towards the back of the property I find a lone above-ground grave. 

Louise Sommer died and was buried here 99 years before I was born. 

I wonder what her life was like?

I sit down among the ruins for a while to rest, think and have a drink of water. But I need to keep moving. There is a long way to go and if I am going to time the mid-day heat right I can’t sit here on my butt all morning daydreaming about what life was like in the 1700’s.

I re-cross the old stone bridge and continue to descend as the road follows the gut closely. Not much further along I hear what sounds like running water and soon I encounter a small stream running down the middle of the gut. It’s moving right along and there are several decent size pools of water downstream.

Fresh Water Stream on St. John

As you might expect in a tropical forest there is wildlife. Giant millipedes, deer tracks, Hermit and Land crabs, birds, insects, gigantic termite nests and the biggest butterfly I have ever seen.

Typical Termite Nest. Many of these on the island.

Also found this guy (a box turtle ?) - not something I have seen here before.

I continue to descend. The trail is starting to flatten out now and the landscape is becoming drier. Cacti begin to appear. A few at first, off to the sides of the path. Then more and bigger ones, some of them crowd the trail and I must exercise a bit of caution to avoid spines:




I am getting really hot and tired. I have been hiking for almost 3 hours now and need a break. Quite suddenly I hear waves and they quickly grow into the roar I recognize as the sound of the broad breakers of Reef Bay. I know I am getting close to the beach. The L’Esperance trail dead-ends into a Reef Bay beach trail. Normally I go to the beach to the left as I would have come down the trail from that direction. Today on a whim I decide to go right and am quickly rewarded with a lovely sand beach that is new to me. Long, wide with easy safe entry into the water. There is one family there and they are packing up to leave. Soon I will have the whole thing to myself:

Reef Bay looking West

Looking East. Boy am I ready to strip off these sweaty clothes and swim! 

I set up my little base camp to refresh for the second half of the hike. ( Are those his pants on that log? I hope he waited until that family left ;)

The Base Camp

The worst heat of the day passes (mostly!). It’s time to get moving again although I could easily spend the rest of the day right here. 

I retrace my steps and quickly pick up the old familiar Reef Bay sugar mill trail. I’ve hiked this part a couple of times and know it well. I start to see a few more people - remember this is the other trail that is great for families, etc...

Reef Bay Sugar Mill

I don’t linger here very long as I need to get up and over the next ridge to Lameshur bay. I know that trail too. It is going to be pretty hard. It’s a quick steep climb with some rugged terrain and very hot and dry. My timing is not great - it’s about 2 PM now - but there’s nothing to be done about that except go slow and take frequent water breaks.

Just like I remember, the hot dusty trail ascends quickly and has some great views. 

Looking back towards Reef Bay and the beach where I went swimming and had lunch. 

The trail finally crests the ridge and begins to descend again and a good thing too because it’s really hot now. I have gone thru more water than I planned for this part of the hike. I have plenty of reserve but I am surprised at how much I have consumed. I’m getting tired. I know this is when people make dumb mistakes and get hurt so I take frequent breaks and try to go slower.

I pass some familiar landmarks from previous hikes and know I am near the destination and can make it. I round a corner and catch the first spectacular view of the two Lameshur bays.

Little Lameshur Bay (Foreground) and Great Lamshur (Distance).

It’s too beautiful to pass so I sit down for a few moments. I really love this part of the island. I have spent a LOT of time exploring these bays and the trails around here. I have a picture of Harrison (now 23) at age 1 year eating a giant handful of sand off that beach. My friends who live on St. John have their home nearby. I could sit and stare at this for a long time but the bugs have other ideas. They descend in a swarm. The message is clear - time to move on or be eaten alive.

Twenty minutes later I walk onto the beach. I see my kids out in the water splashing and having fun. “It’s Dad”, they shout. “You made it!”. 

Yes I did.

Met One of My Hero's This Morning

This is one of those things that happens and makes you think maybe there is some magic in the universe because the odds are just so astounding. 

I have studied the work of Bob Garrison a.k.a. “The Trail Bandit” for several years now. He has made some of the most detailed maps of St. John and has been on a personal crusade to keep old, odd trails cleared for everyone’s enjoyment. Lots of fights with the park service, etc… classic man vs. city hall stuff. Website here: www.trailbandit.org. 

I have spent many hours studying his maps and use them to plan every hike.

So we are hiking in a very, very remote area - this is not a place typical hikers will go. It’s a trail Bob has marked and maintained thru some old ruins (Seiben Estate). We exploit the trail and ruins and eventual climb to where the trial head meets the L'Esperance trail coming down from Centerline Road. 

I hear some voices in the distance and then we round a bend and there are three people walking towards us. They are startled and I hear one of the them say, “look, other people” - something they clearly did not expect to see (neither did we). 

We approach and begin to talk about the trail. One of them looks oddly familiar but I can’t really place him. He offers us a printed map. I tell him I have one on my iPhone. He says, “Oh, must be the trail bandit app”. And then it clicks for me. I say, “You look a bit like him”. 

He says, “That’s because I am him”.

I am star struck. This is a personal hero of mine. Five minutes either way and we would never have met on the trail.

This photo is destined for my wall.

The Trail Bandit is standing next me. 

He tells me this is his last tour here. He is in his 70’s and will update the map for 2014 and then he wants to hand off to someone else. "How old are you?", he asks me with just a hint of twinkle in his eye. Would I be interested? 

We talked for a bit and agreed we might follow up by email.

Coincidence or karma?

A good friend of mine always says, "There are no coincidences."

My New Best Friends

So if you have read any of my posts on travel you know I cherish "back door" travel experiences & I had a great one today.

We are on vacation on St. John, USVI as a family. We take the Ferry to St Thomas & meet our old friend (actually my parents friend we have known since childhood). She has arranged everything & soon we are high in the hills of St Thomas.

 

Megan's Bay

"Anyone want a great milkshake made right at the dairy?" If ever there was a "question that's not really a question"...

So we pull into Udder Delight. Everyone lines up to order at the front door. Then our driver Leroy grabs me & Harrison and says he has something else for us. He takes us around & thru a side door (an actual back door!!). He introduces us to Wendell the owner.

He tells Wendell to show us "the good stuff". This turns out to be alcohol steeping in funky bottles with leaves & bark.

At this point Nancy peaks the side door to see what’s up and then joins us. Wendel offers us shots with Fresca chasers. "What the hell", I say. Harrison says, "We aren't driving". So we all down one, chat with our hosts & then Harrison and I down another.

Everyone enjoys a milkshake. Life is good. We drive to a lunch spot. I'm sitting at the table feeling "odd". The clouds look strangely beautiful & a bit weird. I finally say to Harrison that I think the stuff we drank is mildly hallucinogenic. He says, "oh yeah, definitely, my depth perception is off". We agree the feeling is very agreeable, mild, pleasant.

My new best friends, Leroy & Wendell (holding the bottle).

Look closely at the picture above. I didn't notice until Harrison pointed out later that Wendell is wearing a GLOVE to handle the bottle!

We finish lunch & head to the beach at Megan's bay to swim & lounge. I spend the next 2 hours really grooving to some favorite tunes, digging the sun & the beach vibe.

Gotta go back & get the formula for that stuff ...

.......

Postscript: Based in what Wendell told me this is the stuff.