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
“Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.” Zen Buddhist saying
Center HappeningsHappy 20-Year Anniversary, Warren!
As we move into the shortening days of Autumn, we are approaching the end of our visitor season for Sage Wall. This closing might sound premature or unimaginable for some of you living in mild climates, but at over 6,300’ elevation, snow, ice, and frigid temperatures make up 50% of our annual life here in this majestic and demanding environment. So, we need to be ready!
If you’re planning a trip to Sage Wall, there’s still an opportunity to book your spot by reaching out to us at: smc@sagemountain.org. The last day for visitors to see Sage Wall and the Trails for this year will be Sunday, Sept. 29th. We’re gearing up for some crucial late-season work to prepare our trails and facilities for next year, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience. Upcoming tasks include clearing drainage systems to protect the trails from erosion, cutting and splitting firewood, enhancing the main entrance with better signage, sanitizing our eco-friendly restroom, sprucing up the landscape, securing the harvest and winterizing the garden, as well as upgrading our snow plow equipment. Your safety and convenience are our priorities and we’re committed to making Sage Wall a pristine experience for 2025. Tours of the Sage Mountain Center facility are available year around.
Wanna know what our biggest challenge of the summer was? Our beloved Starlink satellite router died, leaving us without internet and phone for 10 days. Zero communication, just like that. Because of the mountains, we were already without cell service up here, so we solely depend on Wi-Fi phone calling. This made it extremely complex communicating with aging parents, friends, customers, and day-to-day business operations. This experience took Linda and I back to the formative years of this Montana property when during building I’d trek three miles to mail a letter to Linda, while she was travel-nursing across the country to pay for construction. Through our hand-written letters we’d arrange meetings and pickups far ahead of time, with weeks passing before we could hear back from one another. In a weird romanticized way, the router outage brought those simpler times rushing back in; there was nothing hi-tech that we depended on. In the end, Starlink did ship us a free, upgraded satellite system, but it took 10 grueling days to get it. It also reminded us of the fragility of our society and our conditioned reliance on invisible electrons moving through wires and space!
This year we also want to give a shout-out to Warren, celebrating two decades of embracing the Sage Mountain Center way of life! Trading the Los Angeles hustle and bustle for the tranquility of mountain-living, Warren transitioned from his humble beginnings of bagging groceries and then to retiring from grocery management. He was there for 30 years. He had no regrets when he finally took the leap into a life filled with the songs of birds, the satisfaction of cultivating an organic garden, and the rhythm of rural chores (…chop wood and carry water…). Warren reflects on this change as his finest life choice…..a sentiment we are all grateful for!
Stay tuned for our Fall/Winter enhancements on this platform, where we’re excited to roll out several updates and new features, including:
In Peace,
The Sage Mountaineers: Chris, Linda, Warren
INCREASINGLY PLEASANT
Center HappeningsWe’re thrilled to announce that Sage Mountain Center is now fully operational for the 2024 season! We invite you to delve into the diverse range of experiences we offer. As the weather becomes increasingly pleasant, we anticipate spending more time outdoors, which means these blog updates will likely shift to an every-other-month format.
If you’re interested in visiting us, we’re accepting reservations through September 2024, or until the onset of the winter forces us to dial it back. We offer two convenient time slots for your visit to Sage Mountain Center: 10 am or 2 pm.
For our loyal followers, you might have observed a minor increase in our prices. This change mirrors the significant time and effort we’re investing to elevate your experience and to delve deeper into the research we have lined up for Sage Wall. Once you email us for an available date (smc@sagemountain), you will receive your registration/payment link and you’ll be good to go. Below are our four main offerings this year and we look forward to welcoming you!
Also, Mike Collins of Wandering Wolf has posted a fun short video revealing some of the new things going on this season. And subscribe to his channel to see all the latest on Sage Wall developments. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/d01sXNlfNLs
As a reminder, Linda Welsh (co-founder and operator of Sage Mountain Center) has written her first book of poetry, published by Warbler Press! Congratulations on these profound reflections on dying and death. Pick up your electronic, paperback or hardback copy at this Amazon link.
“A love song about Life. As intimate and open as footprints in the desert with its thorns and yucca blossoms.”
—Jan Elpel, author of Society of Poets
“Welsh uses nature’s changing expressions to breathe acceptance into the deeply intimate process of death and dying…making death a much more acceptable inevitability.”
—Cyndi Fonda, author of Body of Secrets: Finding My Voice Inside a Famous Family
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.
With Appreciation,
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…