Drala Meditation Hike: Oak Island

Saturday, September 29th, 2024  

4:30 PM – 7:30 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 an evening Drala Hike around Oak Island on Sauvie Island.  This is a wildlife-rich oak grassland in the middle of Sturgeon Lake.  We may see sandhill cranes and other migrating birds.  We will be combining hiking with meditation and observing noble silence.

Details:

Hiking Difficulty (easy):
• Distance: 2.9 mile loop
• Elevation gain: none

What to Bring: Water, a light supper, rain gear, binoculars if you have them, Sauvie Island parking permit if you have one (see parking permit info below) and a kneeling pad or something else to sit on for occasional stops for sitting meditation.

Meeting Time: 4:30 pm at the Oak Island Trailhead, or carpool leaving  RX coffee (used to be Zell’s at 1300 SE Morrison St) at 3:40 pm. 

Meeting Location: Oak Island Trail entrance

Driving directions: https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/Oak_Island_Trailhead

Return Time: About 8:00 pm to Portland

Hike leaders: Annie Popkin and David Parker

Parking Permit: Parking permits are required on Sauvie Island to park in all wildlife areas on the island. Daily permits are $10.00; annual permits are $30.00. 

Permits can be purchased at:

• The Cracker Barrel Store – 15005 N. W. Sauvie Island Road (just over the Sauvie Island Bridge)

• 7-11 Convenience Store – 11310 NW St Helens Rd (US30) in Linton (off Island)

For more information about parking permits, including buying parking permits online, go to the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife website.

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, September 26th.

Photo by David Parker and AnniePopkin

“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