Drala Meditation Hike: Old Salmon River Trail

Saturday, May 11th, 2024  

9:30 AM – 2:00 PM

Join us for a Drala Hike where we will quiet the mind in order to open ourselves to the wisdom of nature and the Drala energies of the Pacific Northwest.  We hike in noble silence while contemplatively attuning and engaging the senses in the phenomenal world around us. 

This month, join us for a Drala Hike in old growth forest up on Mt. Hood on a relatively flat and easy trail that hugs the Salmon River. We’ll combine hiking with meditation while observing noble silence and safe distancing.

Details:

Hiking Difficulty:

• Relatively easy  

• Distance: 4 miles round trip

• Elevation: 450 foot elevation gain

What to Bring: Appropriate footwear, water, lunch and a kneeling pad or something else to sit on for occasional stops for sitting meditation. Also suggested depending on personal hiking preferences and weather: hiking poles, a hat, sunscreen, rain gear.

Meeting Time: 9:30 AM

Driving Time from Portland: About 1 hr

Meeting Location: Old Salmon River Trailhead A. This is the first trailhead, closest to the Highway (NOT the trailhead further down by the bridge where Salmon River Trail begins).

Driving Directions: Drive Highway 26 east through Sandy. From the last traffic light in Sandy, drive 16.8 miles to Zigzag, and turn right onto E. Salmon River Road.

Drive 2.7 miles on Salmon River Road and pull off to the right at the first trailhead for the Old Salmon River Trail, marked on the map as Trailhead A.

Hike leader: Joan Sears and Liz Howell

Car Pool: Contact Liz Howell, Drala Hike Coordinator., advance to see if car pool options are available for this hike.

Registration:

Registration online helps avoid the pen and paper contact involved in filling out emergency contact and release forms in person. When you register (below), you will be asked to list an emergency contact’s name and number and to check a box indicating that you consent to this release form (releasing Shambhala from liability). Please register by the end of the day on Thursday, May 9.

“By relaxing the mind, you can reconnect with that primordial, original ground, which is completely pure and simple. Out of that, through the medium of your perceptions, you can discover magic, or drala.”   ~Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Drala hikes are open to the public. No dogs, please – For questions about this or other things, please contact Liz Howell, Drala Hike Coordinator.

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2024 Drala Hike Schedule

• Sat, Apr 20: Lacamas Park (WA) with Liz Howell and Joan Sears
• Sat, May 11: Old Salmon River Trail (Mt. Hood) with Joan Sears and Liz Howell
• Sat, Jun 8: Steigerwald Lake & Nat’l Refuge (Gorge) with Anandi Gefroh
• Sat, Jul 13: Nehalem Bay (Coast) with David Parker and Annie Popkin
• Sat, Aug 3: Ridgefield (WA) Blue-Tongue Drala Blueberry Pick with Robert Lovitt and Heather Gordon
• Sun, Sep 29: Oak Island Trail (Crane viewing on Sauvie Island) with Annie Popkin and David Parker
• Sun, Oct 20: Silver Falls State Park (Silverton, OR) with Liz Howell