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It began in early 1970, during the infancy of his
macrobiotic years, when his T'ai Chi teacher in Boston laid down the gauntlet
to the class. Duncan asked his class if anyone would like to help him build a
log cabin on his 250 acres in the mountains of British Columbia. It
sounded like a great adventure to Paul and Jake, the only two
volunteers. Jake begin cleansing with an all fruit diet while Paul ate
buckwheat and miso soup.
The day to leave saw Paul and Jake on the entrance to I-90 in Boston, thumbs
out, wielding packs and sleeping bags. Jake's bag was a warm down but
Paul could only muster a summer bag. Three days later, traveling day
and night (except for one night spent on a dormitory floor) they arrived at
an old farmer's house in Fernie, British Columbia at 2 a.m. where Duncan
awaited. The farmer's wife, Katy, promptly got out of bed to fix them
cornmeal, bread and eggs. It wasn't two hours later that Paul awoke
with stomach cramps and diarrhea. Where he went the Earth only
knows.
Morning, toboggan loaded with roots, grain, seaweed, beans and supplied, the
three men pulled it seven miles up the mountain along an abandoned logging
road to the site where the only structure was a crude teepee - 20 foot poles
leaned against a big pine (lower branches removed) with tar paper spiraled
around, and a dirt floor. They found a few boards to lay their bags
on. Paul didn't really sleep except in fits for two weeks, curled
tightly to avoid freezing during 10-15o nights. He
thanked the hard work in the daytime for his remaining unscathed by
frostbite. Five feet of snow remained from the thirty-two feet which
had fallen that winter.
The first task was cutting logs, straight ones, for the cabin. No chain
saw here to pollute, only Swede saws, axes, draw-knives and rope to pull the
logs as much as one mile to the cabin site, where they laced the peeled trees
into a cabin (after excavating four feet of snow which still lay on the
ground).
Food Never Tasted So Good
They took turns cooking on a Coleman stove, kept warm (for a few
hours) at night by banking the fire in a pit in the dirt floor, and kept the
vegetables from freezing by burying them in the snow. Food never tasted
so good.
After about two weeks, not having had a bath, they started a fire to heat
water, but Paul stripped to the buff, ran 100 yards over the snow to a
"hole" in the creek, splashed and rubbed, ran back to the waiting
fire, and put on clean clothes. He felt like a million dollars.
Snow melted first beneath the big trees and there they lunched on sunny days,
where chipmunks stole rice from their hands and birds began to sing.
Low shrubs began to appear as the snow receded, while buds expanded into
tender shoots on the trees. The muted gurgle of streams slowly gave way
to the melt as fresh breezes plied the forest with smell and sound until
flowers popped joyously forth and streams roared rebirth. Forests and
valley awoke in a profusion of foliage and earthy stirrings. The moist
fresh winds carried scents of cedar and pine followed by the complex
sweetness of clovers from the valley. Our spirits were alive!
Soaring above to savor the Earth's delights! Flying
deliriously....
Time for Planting
With the cabin built and the weather significantly warmed and snow
remaining only in patches, it was time to break ground for planting.
Who says you need to eat animal food to swing a grub hoe (heavy as a pick
axe) nine hours per day busting ground? Or to carry 200 pound logs on
your shoulder over brush, fallen trees and uneven ground? To run and
not tire . . . your aura riding amidst the treetops.
It was work like this, intimately tied to the earth that brought Paul to a
kinship with nature and a thirst to understand his universal roots and
destiny. Long walks, 6 miles (one way) from the valley late at night
after helping farmers with their hay, took him through dense forests after
dark, often scrutinized by cougar, deer, and bear, but never molested.
Eight months after he arrived in the early April snow, Paul left because
there was no provision for the winter. He was at a point in his
spiritual/psychic/conscious development where he felt about to open up, to
blossom into a much greater awareness; like antennae turned into wide-band
radio-telescopes. But winter was setting in and he returned to life in
populous New England where for months he enjoyed fabulous success in
everything he attempted.
Paul's dream from that time has been to have a place where he could go beyond
where he had been, to advance in consciousness, health and understanding and
show others how. Western religion says "Come and
believe." Paul believes that one must "Come and see" or
"Come and experience." Paul and Mary (who shares this
dream) have miraculously stumbled upon and bought a 170-plus acre piece of
land right up against Glacier National Park in Montana. Shangri
La! They will be establishing a small community there but need help to
build tight homes, root cellars, kitchen(s), other buildings, establish a
good water supply, perhaps erect a windmill and much more, plus offer cooking
classes, meditational direction, T'ai Chi and other ways of growth,
gardening, macrobiotic instruction, crafts, fence building, survival courses,
world class fishing, hiking trails you wouldn't believe, mountain biking, and
many other spirit lifting and strengthening pursuits.
In the springtime when the Montana mountains awake is the perfect time to set
out for this land hugging Glacier Park on its most accessible eastern
side. Paul & Mary are liquidating their assets now.
The challenge of building from scratch in order to accommodate (eventually .
. . sooner rather than later) a small community will tax mind and body; but,
as most hard work expended towards a worthwhile goal brings deep
satisfaction, so will this, as we create with hands and share in the
camaraderie of friends, building a better world.
Winters blow harsh here. The first couple winters may be spent
traveling, visiting, learning, working elsewhere, until provision for cold
weather and isolation are established. Then, what a conscious
metamorphosis could occur spending winters in study, writing,. meditation . .
. amidst the fierce wind, cold and snow.
But, did you imagine yourself becoming a great influence towards a more
conscious world by enveloping yourself in posh environs and creature-comforts
within the urban jungle and its distractions? Fields of energy surround
your body. When they grow strong enough, work in urbania will be more
fruitful, the temptations and distractions buffered by your strengthened
being. We think this Montana community will be the ideal place to
develope the inner strength and consciousness as befits true humanity.
We hope you do too.
For more information contact:
e-mail address:
wolfroadvq@sio.midco.net
Paul Kern and Mary Schramm
1019 So. Norton Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
PH: (605)338-1151
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