Leslie Friesen, a long time member of the Shadowcliff community, enjoyed a cabin retreat this summer in Riverbend cabin. Her witness of new growth of the beautiful pines offers a thoughtful perspective on the possibilities for healing and new growth in a broader context. Thank you, Leslie!
We last stayed at Shadowcliff’s Riverbend cabin in 2012. This is what the view was looking up the hill towards Fireside. It was probably the a year or two after they had pretty much clearcut the hillside to remove the dead lodgepole pines devastated by the pine bark beetle.
I was amazed to see the transformation this year. Below are views taken from virtually the same spot. The rock in the foreground was what I used to identify where I had taken the 2012 shot. That tree stump at the far left in the 2012 photo with the 2’ tall pine next to it, is now hidden by the base of an appx. 9’ tall pine.
This gives me hope that nature can heal itself and sometimes with surprising speed. While the pine trees can come back, I know that we can’t turn back the clock on the glaciers, but if our world can make some changes in saving our environment, well… things can change!
Leslie