By Juliette Gomes
“Standing in the then-darkened landscape on the longest night of the year, a sense of connectivity hung in the air between us...”
This year for HLT’s annual Silent Solstice Hike, in the woods of the DAR State Forest, a group of sixteen gathered for a sunset hike on a cold and clear-skyed evening. Celebrating the changing of the light, we mediated in silence through the wooded forest in early dusk. We stopped at locations along the trail to watch the sunset of the darkest day of the year. At our first sunset-watching location, on the beach of the boat launch, the cold winter air hissed and hallowed. We watched in awe at the orange and yellow light, just above the treetops, painting the sky.
About a half mile in, hikers had the option to continue along the accessible trail to the second sunset-watching location or return with our All Out Adventure volunteer, Kailean, to the starting location. Hikers who continued with HLT staff Sarah Welch and HLT TerraCorps member Juliette Gomes hiked a quarter mile through the woods to the camper’s beach. Down the sandy path and out of the wind, hikers who continued with us peered across the ice-patched lake as the sun sank below the horizon, marking the promise of more light the next day. Enchanted by the twinkling of waters lapping against the shore and our shared experience, we headed back through the forest walking in pairs and groups side-by-side.
Moving together, we collected observations of our experience and what we noticed in the natural world. To share our distinctly personal encounters, we gathered at the end to reflect on our collective exploration. Hikers reintroduced themselves and shared one to three words that encapsulated their experience or something they noticed. Phrases like “purple sky moon” captured the whimsical and enchanting moments of the winter-scape. Other phrases like “wind in my face” brought on giggles in the group, non-verbal affirmations of surviving the winter wind at the first sunset-watching location. Standing in the then-darkened landscape on the longest night of the year, a sense of connectivity hung in the air between us.
The importance of gathering in the forest, among the seemingly dormant yet complex and intertwined ecosystem, became apparent as we broke the silence at the end of our journey.
Sarah reported, “It’s amazing how strong a sense of connection you can feel with others at a silent event! Watching the sunset as the wind whips over the lake, walking through the woods together by headlamp in peaceful silence – it really lets you focus on the beauty of nature and community.” But most importantly, Sarah noted, “I love HLT’s Solstice walks because they bring people together for a unique, peaceful experience year after year.”
This sense of continuation of community gathering aligning with the cyclical nature of light as Earth continues in its orbit helps create a lasting connection with people and the natural world. We are excited to join hikers again to celebrate the winter solstice next year.
