Returning Water and Ascending to the Oyster Dome
A five mile day hike to close the mountains to practice
Join us for one, or both, of two connected Wilderness Dharma events.
The Hike: 10am - 3pm - Chuckanut Drive to the Oyster Dome
- 8.0 miles round trip
- 1,896' elevation gain, and then loss
- well-built soft forest trail
Join us for a meditation hike to the gem of the Chuckanuts: Oyster Dome. This popular local destination, a prominent rocky outcrop on the southwest face of Blanchard mountain, will be our place of Closing the Mountains for the ending of our ritual hiking season.
This hike, inspired by traditions on Tibetan sacred mountains where the last ritual circuit of the season was performed by priests putting the mountain to rest, will be a 6.3 mile round trip with about a 1,896' elevation gain. This is a large elevation gain for the distance, and the trail climbs the entire way. On the dome we will perform a ritual combining water from the three headwater branches of the Nooksack River. At the end of the hike we will carpool to Larrabee Beach for our seasons final ritual, returning water to the Salish Sea.
Returning Water Ceremony: Approximately 3pm, Larrabee State Park
- 1/2 mile, round trip, path to the beach
- 200' elevation loss, then gain
- many stair steps going down, and then back up
A returning water ritual completes our Wilderness Dharma Program hiking season and all are encouraged to attend to offer the water we have carried through out the season back to the Salish Sea. You are welcome attend this ritual even if you did not do the hike.
Meeting up: You can meet us for the hike at the Chuckanut Drive Oyster Dome Trailhead (just south of Oyster Creek) by 10am or opt to carpool from the our Cedarwood Zendo in Bellingham, meeting at 9:15am for the drive to the trailhead.
If you are joining us for the ritual at the end we will arrive there at approximately 3pm at the band shell area at Larrabee State Park. Take the main entrance and head south to the band shell and beach access parking area. Take the Larrabee main entrance and head south to the band shell and beach access parking area.
Dress appropriately for the weather, with good footwear for the trail. Bring a sack lunch and at least two liters of water. We will eat lunch on top of the dome.
What to Bring: Trail snacks and sack lunch, sturdy hiking shoes, hiking poles if you use them, and two liters of water. Dress in layers.
Carpooling: Please mention in a comment on your registration if you need to a ride and we will try to assist. Carpooling is an indoor "activity" - please be aware of our current Covid Policy.
Registration: While our day hikes are offered without charge, we do incur about $10 of program administration cost for each registration. There is the opportunity during registration to donate to cover these costs for your own registration or, additionally, to help another cover their registration expenses. Everyone is welcome, and no one will be refused attendance for lack of funds. As we do on the trail, we support each other.
Donations to the Leader: As with all of our events, teachers/leaders are not compensated for their time. Unlike our "indoor" retreats dana (teacher donation) is not collected during the event, but dana given before or after the event is always welcome, and you can do so on our Donate to a Teacher page.
Questions? Contact Wilderness Dharma Program Coordinator Bob Penny at wilderness@redcedarzen.org and see our Wilderness Dharma Program page for an overview of this program.
