Autsit 2021

We had a full house at Autsit this year, with seven sitters including newcomers Karuna and Pete, and veterans Paul, Tom, Hal, Anlor and Greg. Demand was high and we had to turn people away even though we restricted participation to those fully vaccinated for Covid-19. All in all it was great to be practicing together in the same physical space after more than a year of pandemic isolation and a skipped Autsit in 2020. We followed the same schedule as in recent years, but with a slightly more relaxed feel—this probably due in part to post-pandemic relief. In addition to the many quiet hours in the zendo and the usual silence until noon, Autsit this year featured a group hike to a "hermit hut", a hike up peaks in the Desolation Wilderness (for a few of us), a possible condor sighting, and an apricot pie.

                       

This year's crew (minus the photographer) got down to business...

Tom, Pete, Karuna, Paul, Anlor, Hal (and Greg)

                       

Various feasts were carefully prepared...

           

Stretching, talking of meditative practice

       

We hiked up to a "hermit hut" (by way of a swamp).

           

Karuna honored Nature (or is she dead, Jim?):

       

We reached the "hermit hut", and mindfully help each other on the rugged way down.

           

Home free!

       

Sage Karuna surveyed the retreat cabin atop the cliff across the river.

   

The chapel was closed due to the pandemic, but we visited the memorial garden there.

       

R&R

       

Condor? Bald Eagle?

   

The baking of apricot pie!

       

Pete conjured an eggplant parmesan feast, with the pie as the coda.

           

   

Transmission of bell-ringing wisdom

       

Tom brought full attention to bear at the bear box.

   

An ambitious hike up Dick's and Jack's Peaks was undertaken.

           

Paul indulged in winter sports as we approached snows...

   

and greeted his old friend the Pacific Crest Trail (on a section he already hiked).

   

Our goals (L to R) Jack's Peak, Dick's Peak, and the Dick's Pass trail:

   

Hal accompanied Paul and Greg to Dick's Pass (by way of Gilmore Lake)

               

Then Paul and Greg headed on up the peaks.

       

Where's Waldo?

   

Near-catastrophic boot failure

   

A cliff was in the way.

       

Tada!

   

We followed a stream down the other side.

   

Back on leveler if wetter ground, as the Sun set behind Jack's and Dick's beyond Susie Lake

       

It seems we made our 10,000 steps on the day.

   

Attention attention attention! (with pine needle incense)

   

Cleanup practice

           

The sitter must live dangerously.

   

Summing up another fine Autsit retreat, with a farewell salutation from Pete!