Time is swiftly passing by here on the Continental Divide, and the arrival of our first robin and bluebird heralds the advent of Spring. With the changing seasons come improved conditions, and we are excited to announce the opening of registration for visits to Sage Wall. Mark your calendars for Monday, April 15, 2024, when registration officially begins! At that time, please reach out to us via email to check availability.
Please note, as of this announcement, our area is still blanketed in snow and mud. Therefore, we ask that you plan your visit here for after May 1st. We will be accepting reservations through September 2024, or until the winter snows shut us down! Visitors have the option to choose from two time slots for their visit: 10 am or 2 pm. We look forward to welcoming you to Sage Wall!
For those who have been keeping up with us, you may have noticed a slight increase in our prices. This adjustment is a reflection of the considerable time and effort we are investing to enhance your experience and to conduct more in-depth research into the origins of Sage Wall. Upon receiving your registration link, you will find a variety of options available for selection:
- Sage Mountain Center Tour (guided): 1 hour, $30/person. 17 years old and under are free. This one-hour guided tour explores our award-winning facility featuring solar and wind off-grid sustainable living, including organic and Permaculture gardens, clean energy systems, natural building materials, and the wisdom and insights offered from this mountain eco-system.
- Sage Wall and Trail Hike (on your own): 2-hour reservation slots, $75/person. 17 years old and younger are free. Self-guided tour (it’s about a 1/2-mile hike to Sage Wall from the parking lot and takes about 15 min.). Dirt trails are clearly marked and are unfortunately NOT wheelchair accessible.
- Guided Sage Wall and Trail Hike. Do you want someone to guide you or your personal group up to the Wall? Add $100 for you or your group. Get a deep one-hour orientation of the site with one of the owners as your personal tour guide. This includes the history and discovery of Sage Wall in 1996 along with stories of living here for over 30 years. This is an additional fee on top of your $75 registration.
- Labyrinth Walk: Donation optional. Enjoy one of the larger labyrinths in the country at ½ mile long. It takes about 20 – 40 minutes to walk, depending on your meditative pace.
In other news, Linda Welsh (co-founder and operator of Sage Mountain Center) has written and published her first book! Congratulations on these
profound and poetic reflections on dying and death. Below is a blurb and here is the Amazon link where you can pick up your digital or hard copy.
Facing the Mountain: Poems on Dying and Death, Caregiving and Hope offers comfort for those in bereavement and explores the interwoven themes of dying, death, caregiving, and hope in human nature and Nature itself. In this deeply honest, transparent, and questioning collection of poems, Linda C. Welsh explores the complexities of caring for people in their most vulnerable time of need within the context of a death-phobic society. An innovative fusion shaped from direct experience in the care of the dying, surrender to the transformative forces of life, and reverence for the living world, Facing the Mountain is a lyrical exploration of grief, aloneness, renewal, awakening, and longing.
Linda C. Welsh is a Registered Nurse certified in Hospice and Palliative Care. She has assumed many roles in the delivery of hospice care; but her joy has always been accompanying people one on one. Co-founder of Sage Mountain Center, an education center for sustainable living in Whitehall, Montana, Welsh is also a distance hiker with a Master’s degree in Transformative Learning and Change.
Lastly, we are excited to share that our additional book project, tentatively titled “The Chronicles of Sage Mountain Center: Featuring Sage Wall,” is making steady progress. We are optimistic about its completion by the end of this year. This comprehensive guide will encapsulate the entirety of our rich history and provide the most recent reports and captivating narratives about this remarkable ancient site. Stay tuned for this all-encompassing journey into our past, present, and future.
Be Well,
Chris and the Sage Mountaineers
Gliding into the Light of Spring
Center HappeningsTime is swiftly passing by here on the Continental Divide, and the arrival of our first robin and bluebird heralds the advent of Spring. With the changing seasons come improved conditions, and we are excited to announce the opening of registration for visits to Sage Wall. Mark your calendars for Monday, April 15, 2024, when registration officially begins! At that time, please reach out to us via email to check availability.
Please note, as of this announcement, our area is still blanketed in snow and mud. Therefore, we ask that you plan your visit here for after May 1st. We will be accepting reservations through September 2024, or until the winter snows shut us down! Visitors have the option to choose from two time slots for their visit: 10 am or 2 pm. We look forward to welcoming you to Sage Wall!
For those who have been keeping up with us, you may have noticed a slight increase in our prices. This adjustment is a reflection of the considerable time and effort we are investing to enhance your experience and to conduct more in-depth research into the origins of Sage Wall. Upon receiving your registration link, you will find a variety of options available for selection:
In other news, Linda Welsh (co-founder and operator of Sage Mountain Center) has written and published her first book! Congratulations on these
profound and poetic reflections on dying and death. Below is a blurb and here is the Amazon link where you can pick up your digital or hard copy.
Facing the Mountain: Poems on Dying and Death, Caregiving and Hope offers comfort for those in bereavement and explores the interwoven themes of dying, death, caregiving, and hope in human nature and Nature itself. In this deeply honest, transparent, and questioning collection of poems, Linda C. Welsh explores the complexities of caring for people in their most vulnerable time of need within the context of a death-phobic society. An innovative fusion shaped from direct experience in the care of the dying, surrender to the transformative forces of life, and reverence for the living world, Facing the Mountain is a lyrical exploration of grief, aloneness, renewal, awakening, and longing.
Linda C. Welsh is a Registered Nurse certified in Hospice and Palliative Care. She has assumed many roles in the delivery of hospice care; but her joy has always been accompanying people one on one. Co-founder of Sage Mountain Center, an education center for sustainable living in Whitehall, Montana, Welsh is also a distance hiker with a Master’s degree in Transformative Learning and Change.
Lastly, we are excited to share that our additional book project, tentatively titled “The Chronicles of Sage Mountain Center: Featuring Sage Wall,” is making steady progress. We are optimistic about its completion by the end of this year. This comprehensive guide will encapsulate the entirety of our rich history and provide the most recent reports and captivating narratives about this remarkable ancient site. Stay tuned for this all-encompassing journey into our past, present, and future.
Be Well,
Chris and the Sage Mountaineers
Signs of Change
Center HappeningsAs winter’s short-lived grip loosens, we find ourselves at the cusp of change. The three-mile dirt road leading to Sage Mountain Center has transformed into its all-to-familiar mud-bog stage. But fear not; this mucky path signals more than just a seasonal shift. It hints of warmer days, lengthening sunlight, and the promise of easier access to our mountain paradise.
Our food pantry, once brimming with garden-fresh delights, is starting to show signs of decrease. As we bid farewell to winter’s bounty, our thoughts turn to the greenhouse seedlings and this year’s garden layout. This transition is akin to a symphony—the quiet anticipation before the first notes of spring burst out, bringing with them the harmonious crescendo of new growth and tantalizing edibles.
Our book project, The Chronicles of Sage Mountain Center featuring Sage Wall (working title), slowly progresses—much like a determined turtle in a race. We are excited to share the almost 35 years of what we have learned about building and living in this special mountain-top environment.
In other writing new, Linda’s book of poetry titled Facing the Mountain: Poems on Dying and Death, Caregiving and Hope will be published and available through Amazon the beginning of next month! Her decades as a healthcare professional and co-founder/operator of SMC are melded into a beautiful work of expression and insight. More details will be coming in April.
Finally, our trails and Sage Wall remain blanketed in 12” -24” of snow so next month we’ll unveil reservation details for your personalized SMC experiences. Whether it’s a meditative walk in the Labyrinth, informative tours of our off-grid buildings and garden, or a scenic hike up through the whispering pines, you’ll have the chance to immerse yourself in this mountain sanctuary. Remember: visitor times will be at 10 am or 2 pm—so when the time is right, mark your calendars! Stay tuned to this blog for the latest details—we promise to update it monthlyish.
In the spirit of being,
Chris and the Sage Mountaineers
LAYING LOW, BUT EVER ACTIVE
Center HappeningsWinter Abounds…Sort Of
Center Happenings, Center ProjectsWe had an amazing autumn filled with brilliant colored foliage and long periods of extremely pleasant warm weather.
Autumn in the Rocky Mountains
Center ProjectsAs Sage Wall continues to go viral (in the positive sense of the word), we strive to continue our SMC mission to promote personal and environmental awareness.
Our Wet Summer Season is Going Strong!
Center HappeningsFinally, we’re out of the worst winter we have experienced in over 30 years and the warming sun is gratefully received.
Spring Time at Sage Mountain Center
Center HappeningsWell, yesterday I snow-shoed on the trails to check out accessibility and only about 20% of the snow has melted. That leaves 80% still covered in 2’ of snow! This has been an abnormally long winter and we are at least four weeks behind in outdoor garden preparations.
Sage Wall Update
Center HappeningsWe are still buried in snow but are keeping a close eye on the…
Permaculture Workshop June 2-4, 2023
Center Happenings, EventsA weekend workshop covering cold climate design strategies for gardeners, homesteaders, and those who are interested in learning more about permaculture design will take place June 2-4, 2023
Sage Wall
Center Happenings, VideoA new video was recently released by Wandering Wolf highlighting a special feature at Sage Mountain Center.