You need to cross the stream three times until you reach Bridge One…
Crossing a stream is a well-worn pattern, at least in Western culture: we think of Hades, Lethe, and all that. This post is about the pattern of multiple crossings.
I was hiking No Name Trail (near Hanging Lake), when I met the hiker who informed me as above. She continued:
Bridge One is awesome. You should go there.
And so I went, crossing the stream three times. A single crossing is like a terminal step, irreversible. Multiple crossings are like a dialogue: Hey, here we meet. We both have changed. Let’s meet again.
When switching from one side to the other, we accept a change. On No Name Trail, this might be perceived as a change from pine and oak to birch.
…From Bridge One you can go on to Bridge Two…
At Bridge Two, there is a violent waterfall. Bridge Two itself, broken.
…You can go even further, to a place I call The Top of the World…
Will I ever get there?
The Inner Frame 