Encounters with the Archdruid is exactly that; encounters with David Brower, Archdruid of the wilderness. Arch meaning chief, and druid meaning oakwise; Dave Brower is every bit the outdoors man that this complimentary name implies. .
On the mountain I found myself rooting for Brower. As a "once upon a time" mountain person myself, I tend to waiver on my view of modern conveniences. Many years ago, I took off to Arizona with a couple of friends. Once there, we shed ourselves of most frivolous niceties that previously had been such a big part of our lives. Our parents were professionals, and we had been raised with many unnecessary luxuries; so we had much to give up. Although, maybe somewhat out of the rebellious tone of the sixties, we gave it up willingly; and for six months lived with, what we thought was, the bare necessities of life. Our home was a cave 250ft up a steep rocky mountainside. An old vacated Indian dwelling, with a large open archway type floor to ceiling "window", which faced the valley below with the most breathtaking view of the stream, hills, and mountains in the distance. For light we used oil lanterns, for heat and cooking we used an old cast iron pot bellied stove (we rigged a pully system to get it up the mountain piece by piece). We bathed in the stream below. Although we did have a car, we rarely used it. Walking and hiking were the accepted way of travel. I felt free; and I still can't look back on that period of my life without feeling a few tugs on my heart, and a sense of longing to return. .
Today, of course, I live with many conveniences; yet, I have never been a materialistic person. I share a small one bedroom apartment with my soon to be 14 year old daughter; and I feel so blessed by the comfort of my surroundings. My home is my cave - my safe haven from a sometimes very cold world. Could I give up all those conveniences, and go back to those days in Arizona? I don't know, but I would like to think so.
