ROCK BALANCING
I took this photo about 10 years ago. I was on the homestretch of the Lynn Loop hike in Lynn Headwaters where the logging road runs next to Lynn Creek. I saw this and was dumbstruck! I hustled along the path and drove home to get my camera and made it back in about 30 minutes. To my relief, it was still there. I managed to take a bunch of photos before dusk and I’ve treasured them ever since.
I called it my Inukshuk, until I discovered that this isn’t an inukshuk. Historically, an inukshuk was a single upright stone used in Northern Canada by the Inuit and other peoples of the Arctic for navigating the tundra or for pointing out a landmark. An inunnguaq is “an imitation of a person”, like the emblem of the 2010 Winter Olympics or the monument at English Bay, made out of flat rocks—or blocks of snow—to signify safety, hope and friendship. Inukshuit (plural) also serve to warn of danger, to help hunters or to mark places of reverence.
What you see in the photo is a setting, not a pile of rocks. Each rock in this photo is a stand-alone, balanced rock. I often think about the individual who created this work of art. If I could meet that person, I’d tell them that I have been inspired by their patience and imagination, to create such a gift for hikers. I hope they saved photos of their work. I’m so grateful that I was able to take photos, to marvel at the talent and focus that I imagine it took to create such a work of art. I’m not ready to let go of them yet.
I have seen other rock-balancing artists and taken photos of their works. In fact, I have found a book in the Parkgate Library, called The Rock Balancer’s Guide, (2019) by Travis Ruskus, based in San Francisco. As he describes it: “It is a metaphor for life and the circle of creation—of beginnings and endings. …to make and then let go of your creations, freeing yourself into the next moment.” I haven’t read the whole book, but I understand mindfulness. Mostly, I’m enthralled by the photos of his creations. If you want to see more, you can watch him on YouTube or go to https://www.rockbalancersguide.com/.
Or just google ‘rock balancing’ to find many other artists, like this man in West Vancouver.
Take a moment and focus on your breath…
Fiona