Bearing Witness to Intuition

by Gabrielle
USA

It was a great day for a hike; spring was turning into summer and the woods were full of life. I walked along trying to savor each moment.

I’d chosen a trail that promised a great view of the valley. I looked forward to reaching the vista. When I reached it, the view was wonderful, but there was an even more breathtaking sight yet to come.

When I reached the end of the trail, I turned around to retrace my steps back to my car. As I followed the curved trail, I had an intense feeling to stop walking. I ignored it at first, but it came again and this time with a sense of urgency.

I stopped where I was and looked forward – to see a family of Black Bears who had just crossed the trail: a mother and her three cubs, it appeared. They were barely 20 feet in front of me to the right, slowly making their way down the side of the mountain. I prayed that the mother wouldn’t turn around and see me as her cubs struggled to leap over large branches and debris.

I knew that the last thing I wanted to do was startle her and I was a bit too close already. To make matters worse, I could hear the sounds of another large animal further up the mountain, to the left of the trail. I couldn’t see it, but I had a feeling that I needed to pass before encountering it. I couldn’t turn back and risk getting lost; it would be dark soon. I had to do something but I didn’t want to make the wrong move.

I decided to trust my intuition to guide me – after all, had it not been for that warning I would have walked briskly into a dangerous situation. I felt incredibly vulnerable doing this, but my mind could come up with no ideas and there were so many factors unknown. I prayed for help and when I felt a brief sense of relief, I knew it was time to walk.

I took a few slow, deliberate steps. I listened carefully for any warnings. There were none and so I walked some more. I kept walking, slowly and then more quickly until I was completely out of range. This was perhaps the most alive I have ever been, keeping myself immersed in the moment and my mind clear, listening to survive.