Rachel’s Day

This is a harder one to write, which is partly why it has taken so long. That, and we have driven from Portland to Bonners Ferry, Idaho to see Kenny, Keri, Elliot and Stella, then on to Missoula and down the valley to see Kerry and John, then to Salmon, Idaho to drop Harry off with Granny, then on to Buffalo, Wyoming, where I write this. But I think Addie will fill in those details.

There were many goals for this trip, on of them was to find a spot to bury Rachel’s ashes. I had chosen the coast because it is so amazing, and we hiked there a lot, but I could have just as easily chosen Mt. Hood. We went with Thayna and Brian Baker, amazing Portland friends and genuinely astounding people. But we found out that planting a tree was not idea this time of year, so we decided to hike and look for a small tree that could use some lovin’. But the coast forests are dense, so small trees like pines, are hard to come by. It was my last hike with Rachel, I had her in my backpack. I feel the urge to say it was like many of our hikes where I had to carry her, but we all know it was her who carried me, always.

It was a perfect day, weather-wise. A cloudless sky, about 78 degrees. We hiked Neahkhanie trail along the coast. Near the top, I saw a  beam of sunlight coming through the canopy, a little bit off the path. I walked over and saw a. Carpet of clover and a small tree fighting its way through an old stump, basking in the sunlight. I figured this was a perfect metaphor for Rachel: re-purposing, recycling, and fighting the old, stubborn stumps to bring a new life forward.

We buried her ashes there, and Harry found a branch that looked a bit like a cross. Brian Baker found a feeder log with a flower growing out of it and we placed that on top. I marked the latitude and longitude and we left her there. This is the first pic below. It was very difficult, but the spot is gorgeous and I was among friends and may kids, so it was as perfect as it could have been. Leaving her is tearing me up, but I know right where she is (and she has an amazing view) and I know she would approve.  On the hike down, Addie was startled by a rustling in the bushes, so she ran. When she did, she tripped on a rock. She when back to get it, and it was a heart shaped rock (sorry, no pic) just like the one’s Rachel used to find and collect. So we know she approves.