January
2007
Gratitude and Reflection Hike
Almost 50 people — many of them new to PCU — came to join us on our first Reflection Hike, part of our Eighth Day environmental justice project. The diversity of the group was the best part! People came from Orange County and Long Beach; from West Hills and Claremont; from Echo Park and Covina; from Lake Avenue Church and All Saints Pasadena; from Fuller Seminary and the Episcopal Urban Intern Program. Our youngest hiker was only fifteen months old, and our eldest was over seventy.
In many ways, the hike was about gratitude and community as much as about being in the great and glorious world. I have seldom felt so blessed in sharing a place of great spiritual meaning to me with such a wonderful group of people. At every stream crossing — and there were at least five — people held out hands, stood on rocks, guided others across the water until all were safely over. After traveling through the cold, shaded canyon, we came out into the cup of light at the head of the falls, ate together, prayed together, laughed together, and planned for the future.
At the very top we took turns scrambling over the slippery rocks to look down into that bright, vertiginous fall (everyone will remember my extreme anxiety that no one should fall off the cliff, since this would bode badly for future hikes), and then gathered for the prayer. Juan showed us how to offer tobacco in the tradition of the indigenous peoples, and each of us took part. We each took a moment, in our own language, to offer a prayer of thanks to God — for our community; for the mountains; for the fresh air and clear water; for our ancestors and predecessors who had lived in and preserved this place for us. Reverend David Farley from Echo Park guided us along the path with a tin whistle, and PCU Board Member Reverend David Larson led a spontaneous prayer. Juana Torres of the Sierra Club led us in a Spanish and English prayer and response.
Visit our full slideshow to see more great pictures — and if you came on our hike, feel free to us more pictures to add to the collection.
We’re already planning future hikes in Orange County and in the Santa Monica Mountains — contact Jennifer at if you want to help organize them!